The Last Summer of You and Me
by killaawhales
Summary: Korra is trying not to freak out that the person she's in love with is currently friends with benefits with like, the best looking person she's ever seen. Well, besides who she's in love with, of course.
1. Yellow

Korra never thought she'd understand Asami's love for driving. (Well obviously, with her not being able to for so long and all). But today she finally thinks she gets it.

They're driving - Korra for once, timidly at the wheel because Asami's dad had dinged the bumper of her car, and god forbid she drive anywhere in a vehicle looking like that- back home from the city proper.

They'd just had what Bolin would deem the most fabulous dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, where their server had titled their bibs KING CRAB (Bolin) QUEEN CRAB (Asami) I GOT CRABS! (Korra) and CRABBY! (Mako, obv.), and they'd purposely ordered each of their Shark Bowls separately in order to cause the most amount of disturbance possible in the restaurant. They thought it endlessly hilarious that Mako's had been free, because, as the waiter put it, it was "made for his kind".

Anyway, the boys had gone out after to meet Wing and Wei for a boys night, which meant Korra's house, which was usually the site of their late night Rock Band nightcaps, would be quieter than usual with only two band members, so they took the trek to Asami's. The estate is a good forty-five minutes away from Korra's- 28 minutes if you get no stoplights, which is Korra's record, with Bolin in a close second with 31 minutes (but don't you ever tell Mako how many yellow lights he had to blow through to make it). She wouldn't tell you even if you asked her, but the longer drive simply meant more time with Asami, and as she came up to the Mountain Crescent side of Asami's Road, she decided to keep going.

Her first favorite part about this decision is that Asami hadn't questioned it. Even though she'd blurted, after wondering if maybe Asami thought Korra had forgotten where she lived? "I don't feel like going home yet," to which Asami responded, wonderfully and in every way Korra ever wanted to hear,

"Me either."

Her second favorite part was that it was basically an acceptable (almost romantic? and not creepy?) way to keep Asami with her.

Usually, when she drives alone at night Korra's brain goes to a million different places and she doesn't like to interrupt it, which leads to long trips to nowhere. Tonight though, she's absolutely positive her brain is on the girl sitting next to her and the thought that after this summer, they'd be going their separate ways, and she didn't want to ruin the comfortable silence by pulling into the driveway and having to say the worst thing ever: "Goodbye".

So as they sit quietly in each other's presence, Asami humming the tune on the radio and Korra simply beaming at her excellent choice, she understands. She fucking loves driving. It's amazing.

Now Korra's thoughts on driving can be summed up like this:

One day, when you're feeling nostalgic and don't want to go home, or say goodbye to the person you may or may not love, that just so happens to be beautiful and wants to sit next to you for an undetermined amount of time, keep driving with them- with the windows down and the cool breeze of an eighty degree night slowly dropping into the seventies blowing- through the winding roads of somewhere you love (with someone you love,shh), with the radio crackling "Yellow" by Coldplay.

 _Do you know,_

 _You know I love you so..._

And, as you make the turns and the chorus catches you, and you feel whatever you had to feel- whatever was keeping you from not wanting to go home, whatever was making you scared of saying what you wanted to say to her- eventually, the roads will turn back into roads leading you to home instead of away from it. This same road you thought you wanted to go on forever turns into one infinitely longer, keeping you away from the one place you want to be, with the one person you want to be with. So by the time you'll have to pull into the driveway, it's like you went back in time and are driving her home in the first place, except feeling the welcome and comfort of knowing you could always come back, or that she'd trust wherever you took her, which you wouldn't have felt before. It keeps home (her) a place Korra always wants to go back to.

Not even a year ago, though, Korra would have never imagined herself feeling this way about Republic City- or her wonderful friend.

She hated its lights and the noise. And she hated the heat and the smell of horseshit and hay that lingered in the air of their small suburb right outside it.

Now Korra's thoughts on the city can be summed up like this:

It's the only place I want to be (because she's here).

 _For now._

She's proud all her friends love coming to her house. It's no cabin in the South Pole, but she can't blame them, they've never been there. At this place, you can still see most of the constellations from her driveway (though that streak that marks the galaxy is missing, as well as the Southern Lights). Sure there's a little light pollution from Republic City Car and Truck Company littering the nearby highway, but she prefers it that way-mostly because, it's what got Asami into staying over, and staying late.

 _Look at the stars_

 _Look how they shine for you..._

She also can't decide if she enjoys the fact that whenever they look at the stars together, they don't think about love, or if someone they love is looking at the same stars (which they are), or if they're really the stars, or if there's an alien somewhere doing the same thing- but of that ridiculous quiz they got in Freshman Science that was just paper full of dots that they had to draw the constellations in on. And how any two fucking stars could be Sirius Minor, because its JUST A LINE, NOT A SMALL DOG. And how the fuck did Asami get an A on that quiz becauseliterally… it was a just a page that looked like a pen had exploded on it.

Whatever the case, she's not the same person that moved here, (mostly cause now she can drive, and LOVES IT). Actually, she knows she's not. So that night when they drive together, she's not timid or shy, or the kid that didn't know what to say when Asami told her she was afraid of fire and of being left alone. That Korra didn't understand half the things Asami ever said, but this one does. This Korra loves her, and she's pretty damn certain about it. She just doesn't know how to say it. Or how to compete with the hunk of Fire Nation that Asami happens to be banging, and just so happens to tell her every excruciating detail about.

If there is one thing Asami obviously has never heard of, it's "don't kiss and tell". Because she tells Korra the shit out of it. Sometimes, even as its happening.

And if it wasn't all so preposterous and disturbing at the time, it might actually break Korra's heart.

But back to the being in love part.

She drops Asami off, and she only doesn't come in because she's got work in the morning, and the spirits know she wont ever go to sleep if she could be looking at Asami instead.

Also, if there's anything the drive has convinced her of, is that she's here for a purpose, and that she's going to go home and watch Lord of the Rings because all she can hear is Gandalf in her ears saying that "all she has to do is decide what to do with the time that has been given to her."

She's got the summer. And by the end of it, Asami will know.

 _It's true,_

 _Look how they shine for you._


	2. Waiting For A Girl Like You

Korra's six a.m. shift at the gym was always the same, with only one pool patron between the hours of five a.m. and eight a.m., this really- really- old guy named Zuko. She was surprised sometimes that he could even float in the pool because he looked like sack of bones. Generally though, he was nice, and would always wait on the bleachers while she opened up the pool, at quarter to six, and made sure the vacuum was out -because for sure if it got too close to him, he wouldn't be strong enough to escape its suction. She'd also told him on occasion (somewhat selfishly, becausenobody solidifies her need for a five-thirty alarm clock quite like this guy does) that there was a master swim class at eight P.M he could join, but deep down they both knew he was probably (waywayway) too old for that too.

Having spent a good chunk of the previous night daydreaming and watching her favorite parts of the Fellowship of the Ring, a.k.a the Longest Movie Ever, she kept on her feet so she wouldn't doze off in her oversized lifeguard chair. She performed her usual "Keep Zuko Safe" procedures, including shuffling around the perimeter of the pool with a towel under her feet, because spirits forbid this guy slips on a drop of water with his tiny bird feet and shatters, and placing the flippers he sometimes used right at the very edge of the shallow end for him, since her number one theory on why he came so early was that it took him approximately three years to get in and out of the pool.

Their relationship otherwise, was quite simple. Swim and watch swim in silence.

Today was different though. As the eight o' clock hour rolled around, and Zuko slowly made his way out of the pool, he must have noticed Korra eyeing him closely-because ohravvaimissedaspotwiththetowel- and motioned her over.

"Hey Mr. Zuko what's up do you need help getting out (don't die here please)," she rambled.

"No, no," he responded slowly. "I just wanted to talk to you. You seem like a very put together young woman, being here so early while the rest of your friends are probably still asleep." he chuckled.

He was still not out of the pool, so Korra took one of his arms and led him up the staircase on the shallow end, which only took about half a year. "Yeah, that's me," she responded, chuckling back. " Very responsible! But what I wouldn't give to be asleep right now!"

"Funny, too!" Zuko mused, as he conquered the first step. "What's your name, again?"

"Korra," she responded. "The responsible a.m. lifeguard."

"Korra," he repeated, seeming like he was letting the letters roll around in his mouth, like wine. "Beautiful, just as beautiful as you."

"…Thanks," she responded. Was this for real? I guess she could add getting hit on by a centenarian to her list of things she never expected, but wow-

Zuko interrupted her thoughts. "I have a grandson," he said, chuckling again, seemingly following where her mind must have been going. "About your age, very handsome!" he added.

"Do you?" she smiled, relieved. He was just another old guy proud to talk about his grandchildren. "He must have gone to my high school then."

"Republic City Central High?" he asked. "He just graduated! That was a fun day."

They finally made it up the second step. One more Zuk! She thought. I can't wait til' my workout is making it up three steps. "It was," she mused, thinking about how she and Asami had spent the entire night at the Dave and Busters the school had rented out the night of graduation, and fell asleep together hard in the Jurassic Park shooting game at around four a.m., before the buses came back to take them home at five.

"What do you do, Korra?" he asked.

"Well, I lifeguard now, and then in the fall I'm headed to RCU on a swim scholarship, pretty exciting, huh?"

"Very exciting!" He agreed, as he made it up the third step, and finally stood (wow like he's actually a super tall bird, like the one from Up) in front of Korra, taking her shoulders in his hands. "Pretty, smart, and athletic! You are one of a kind, Korra. I want you to meet my grandson, he's very nice, and I want him to talk to you, he was on a few sports teams at your school." Before Korra could interject, he continued. "What's your e-mail address! I will have him send you a message on the computer!"

"Oh wow, Mr. Zuko, that's really not necessary, you know, I'm sure he's nice and all but-" (the thought of awkward email exchanges with someone she probably has met before is soooo not appealing, not to mention her pre-existing affliction for another)-

"Nonsense," Zuko stopped her. "It would be good for him to talk to someone like you. I'm not saying I want to see great-grandkids, but give it a try! For your old swim pal's sake." He gave Korra what could only be described as an old man pout, and she resigned to ripping out a piece of a page from her pool log, with her middle school email address on it: whatsanavatar . If it never came through or she never saw it (cause what the heck is the login for that anyway?) she could always brush it off as computer problems, which obviously he wouldn't understand.

Watching Zuko make his way to the lockers, she sighed and sunk into her chair, resigning herself to another hour of loneliness until the "real" people showed up, and then for the end of her shift, when Asami would pick her up.

Asami. She would love this story. Asami loved any story that made Korra awkward- which was most of them- especially when it came to romantic encounters. Shit! Shehad forgotten to ask Zuko who his grandson was, because undoubtedly it would be someone they both knew, and once they figured it out there would be and endless barrage of laughter from Asami, Opal, and even Bolin, as they would most likely sit together and craft her response for her.

The last time the three of them to spoke to someone for her, was when this small Water Tribe guy, Shin, (who was only small cause they were like, fourteen, and now is like six –foot- three) had come up to her in Biology and made it abundantly clear he was awkward, and in love with her. Bolin had convinced him Korra would be nice and he wasn't wrong- she couldn't bear to be mean or tell him to go away, which eventually led to Asami secretly giving him Korra's phone number, and howling in laughter whenever they'd be out and she'd get a pleading message from Shin. It didn't get any better when junior year rolled around and Shin would post ambiguous short stories on his blog featuring himself and an unnamed "brown haired girl with ice blue eyes" cuddling in their hypothetical thirties, never wanting to leave each other's arms.

Korra's pretty sure that ones saved on Asami's computer.

Her thoughts were interrupted by- speak of the devil- Asami, with a text:

 _My Cherry Pie: 8:56 a.m.: Morning sunshine 3_

 _Korra: 8:56a.m: when the fuck did you change your name, and WHY that_

 _Korra: 8:56a.m: morning_

 _(Korra assumes the delay is from Asami laughing at what she presumes is her own hilarity.)_

 _My Cherry Pie: 8:58a.m: I thought that was your favorite 80's song?_

 _Korra: 8:59a.m: that spot his held firmly by 'waiting for a girl like you'. or any other foreigner song. besides, isn't cherry pie 90s?_

 _My Cherry Pie: 9:00a.m: Technicality. Are you waiting for a girl like me?_

 _Commence Korra blushing, alone, at the pool._

 _Korra: 9:02a.m: yeah, to fucking pick me up so I can get something to eat_

 _My Cherry Pie: 9:02a.m: Eleven, right?_

 _Korra: 9:03a.m: yup. bring snacks. maybe a cherry pie?_

 _My Cherry Pie: 9:03a.m: You can just have me ;) . See you at 11!_

The rest of she shift was spent with Korra thinking about how much she hated (but loved) Asami, and her stupid sex jokes that did not make it any easier for Korra to not think of her that way. Or that stupid American Pie scene. Cause let's be honest, if Asami was that pie-

Nope no stop. Korra. Down.

When the pool was still empty at nine thirty, and she was burning up from her hypothetical pie thoughts, Korra dove in for a few laps to take the edge off. She'd find a way to get back at Asami, for sure.

* * *

In preparation for Asami's arrival, Korra did a few push-ups on the deck and made sure she was in the pool by the time eleven rolled around. Two could play this game, and with her red lifeguard suit, hers was Baywatch. Watch out Asami.

But, Korra found her game nearly destroyed when Asami walked into the pool area in her (tight)

(really tight)

capri yoga pants and underarmor racerback, hair pulled back and sweating (with perfect makeup, thank you very much) - causing Korra to swim straight into the deep end wall and nearly drowning herself when she gasped in pain.

Asami Sato-1, Korra-0.

Luckily Asami hadn't seen her yet, and once she got her grips back and rubbed the lump on her head, swam over to the end Asami was nearest, and splashed at her.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself! Did you go work out?"

"Yeah, did you swim?"

"I did a few laps, once my old man friend left."

"Should I be jealous?"

"I'm surprised you aren't already."

"I'm surprised you have other friends," Asami laughed, before a wave of chlorinated water made its way toward her. "Stop that!" she laughed, trying to hold a serious face.

"Sorry ma," Korra chuckled, ready to strike again.

"Are we getting out of here or not?" Asami asked.

"You gonna buy me a drink first?" Korra asked, head in her hand, elbows on the pools edge, looking up at her with her puppy dog eyes.

"I'll buy you a drink after," Asami retorted, crossing her arms and tapping her sneaker.

"Works for me."

Korra made sure Asami was looking, before dunking her head under the water and kicking up the deep end wall and pulling herself out of the pool, (fucking rebel, breaking pool protocol, which is to use the stairs but shutup Asami doesn't know that), dripping wet, arms flexing and legs pushing her up to stand. She brushed the hair out of her eyes and walked over to her towel, knocking Asami in the shoulder as she did so, noting how Asami's gaze followed the drops falling off her. Or so she thought.

Asami Sato-1, Korra-1.

She dressed, picked up her long board, and high fived the guard that took over for her, before throwing her arm across Asami's shoulders and leading her out of the gym to the car (which at some point between last night and this morning, had been fixed…? Fucking Sato's, man.)

The car ride had been fairly uneventful, except for the five seconds Asami took down her hair, (Asami Sato-2, Korra-1) which (let's be honest) made the entire thing worth it. They usually had their breakfasts (early lunches?) at the coffeehouse near school, a converted home with a stage for dumb high school bands and a cozy living room style dining area.

Korra ordered one of everything (in her defense it's a small menu) (but how much easier is it to just say 'one of everything, please' (and an extra tea for "Sami) like a badass?), which she realized she could do when they had come here one afternoon after school when Korra had gotten yelled at during swim practice and wanted to bitch about Mako (for like four hours, Asami still reminds her), and had continued to do so ever since. Asami always "helped," and never ordered anything of her own, but her contribution was always lost in Korra's hectic style of eating when she was hungry.

They chatted a bit, seemingly avoiding all the topics Korra didn't want to touch upon (Asami leaving/ how annoying/ hilarious it was that Shin had thrown his dignity away in one last pre-graduation date proposal to Korra), until Korra made her faux pas.

"How come you were working out today? Don't you usually do that at home?" she'd asked, munching.

"Yeah, but I couldn't fall back asleep after I texted you," Asami responded.

"I mean, the thought of me is pretty exciting," Korra said matter-of-factly.

Asami smirked. "It is. And, I have an engagement later I want to look good for," she added, leaning back and fluffing her hair.

"What's that? I thought your dad was out of town this week?" Her last innocent question of the day (why Korra whyyyyyy?).

"He is. So Iroh's coming over later," Asami bit her lip to hide her smile, waiting for Korra's inevitable horror.

Asami Sato-3, Korra-1

There was a moment of no response between Korra taking a bite, and registering what had been said. "Oh spirits nooooooooooo," she whined through her food. "Pleeeeasssse say you're joking. Please please please?"

"I never joke Korra," Asami said, knowing her seriousness while Korra was groveling would only set her off more.

"Nooo," she continued to whine, hitting her head on the table.

Asami waited patiently, enjoying Korra's pain for a while before leaning in and continuing in Korra's ear. "I think I'll have him do me in ol' Hiroshi's office, since it's actually vacant for once…"

""Samiiiii," Korra's muffled complaint came from her face buried in the table, before going silent. "Ugh. At least you won't be out in public," she rationalized (because that had happened once and scarred Jinora for life), trying as hard as she could to keep her sanity in check (trying to not imagine Asami bent over a desk but yes? but no.).

"Why?" Asami asked, head in her hands, looking down at her friend. "A few nights ago we did it the backseat of the car, this parking lot actually. It was pretty thrilling."

"This parking lot?" Korra asked, head rising up incredulously. "Like right- hey wait what car? Do not tell me the one we are currently traveling in."

"That exact one," Asami clarified.

"I am never getting in the backseat of that car again, tell Mako and Bolin I have shotgun forever-"

Asami laughed. "The front isn't safe either!"

"Stop!"

"Remember how I said dad dinged the bumper?"

"Lies?"

"It was because when I was straddling Iroh in the front seat-in this parking lot- my knee accidentally hit the gear shift, and it rolled forward and hit that pole," Asami whispered, answering Korra's glare.

"I'll walk home, thanks," Korra added, finishing her tea and standing up to leave.

"Korra!" Asami laughed, standing up as well. "Don't be mean," she pleaded. "It's like ten miles!"

"I could use the exercise," she said, crossing her arms.

"I'll buy you ice cream if you ride with me," Asami bargained.

"I can buy my own ice cream," she pouted.

"Not ice cream from the pier!" Asami wagered. "You could never walk there from here."

She was playing dirty. She knew that was Korra's favorite place. She went there every time her and Bolin went surfing in the summer, which hadn't happened yet. She knew Korra couldn't say no.

"I'll get you your favorite," Asami promised, sensing she had won Korra over. "And here, we'll bring this newspaper to cover the seat in if you want. Even though the guys at the factory steam cleaned all the insides after they fixed the bumper."

"Fine."

Asami Sato- 4, Korra-1

Though it was difficult- to say the least- to hear about Asami so thoroughly enjoying being intimate with someone else, she was still physically with Korra for now (and Korra had a game to win), which was something she couldn't give up in favor of sulking. She would do that later, rolled up face down in her sheets, playing Elastic Heart on replay.

* * *

Once at the pier, they didn't go straight to the ice cream parlor (Korra still full from her giant breakfast), but walked along the beach, and got in a game of beach volleyball with a few guys they had run into from the school team. Covered in sweat and sand (when does this girl not look good?), they went up to the boardwalk, where Korra towed Asami along on her long board-as talented and graceful as Asami was, she hadn't yet gotten used to balancing on something so "archaic,"- but Korra had no problems steering her friend seeing as it meant they had to hold hands.

They eventually made it near the ice cream shop, where Korra began to pull faster, and when Asami lost her balance, Korra caught her in a bridal carry and dropped her gently back on her feet in front of the stand, grinning.

Asami Sato- 4, Korra-2

Once Asami regained her composure, she got Korra her favorite, cookies and crème in a waffle cone, and went savory for herself, with pistachio.

On the way back to the car, Korra rode in circles around Asami, pretending to fall off the board every now and then to smoosh her cone into Asami's face, fake apologizing profusely.

Swiping at the ice cream left behind on her forehead, Asami laughed, "You're going to give me pimples, Korra!"

"You'd still be perfect," Korra laughed, "Here." She skated one last circle around Asami before catching her by the hip, and licking off a spot of vanilla she'd missed on her cheek.

At Asami's blush, she grinned.

Asami Sato- 4, Korra-3

"My saliva has anti-pimple powers."

"Oh great, I guess if I ever feel one coming on I'll call you to slobber on me," Asami replied, rolling her eyes and pushing Korra away.

* * *

Once Asami had dropped her off in favor of Iroh, Korra showered and did exactly as planned, collapsing on her couch with Sia playing, very very aware that every minute Asami didn't text her, it was because her hands were probably, well, preoccupied in places she didn't want to think about.

She'd given her blessing to Asami when her and Iroh had first started hooking up, because, well, Asami was so excited, and seriously, who could blame her. Iroh was like some Sun God from the Fire Nation that was probably also immortal, (and if money mattered to immortal gods, probably super rich too) with eyes that were like honey and what the heck, Iroh. On paper, he personified everything Asami deserved and back then, all she'd said was something along the lines of "I'm so happy for you/ go for it/ but if he ever fucks up I'll bash his face in," which Opal and Mako and Bolin had also agreed on, except that was before she realized her feelings, and you couldn't just go back on your blessings and not be supportive like that, right?. Plus, she guessed she preferred an Asami that shared with her versus one who didn't...plus this stupid flirting game they had! She was going to go nuts.

In the end, even though it shredded her to pieces now that she had time to dwell on it, and didn't have Asami's smile to distract her, she'd decided sew back up her thick skin for today, and keep on waiting. The only problem was, the longer she waited, the more she wanted her.

Final Score: Asami Sato- 5, Korra-3


	3. You Are My Only One

With Mako busy pursuing his blossoming career in criminal justice, Korra saw herself spending most of her free time with Bolin, finding it comforting to be able to agree with most of his blubbering heartache. He had just started dating Opal, who was now spending the summer at her grandparents' home down the shore, working, before returning to their last year of school. Korra's situation wasn't quite the same, because well, obviously she wasn't dating Asami, but Bolin was always really dramatic, and Korra's emotional voice in her head sounded eerily familiar. He didn'tknow Korra had a gospel choir of spirits agreeing with him in singsong-y choruses every time he spoke about his fears (of ever becoming comfortable with the distance growing between himself and Opal) (a _w, yeah_ ) (of not being able to cuddle her to sleep) ( _Say it honey!_ ) (of her forgetting that he wanted to be a constant presence in her life) ( _p_ _raise Ravaa, hallelujah!_ ), but to know she wasn't crazy and this was how people could feel about someone they cared about, was liberating. The thought of not missing Asami scared her more than any ache she could carry in her soul. It would mean that she had accepted defeat, and had let the ocean between them erode how she felt.

She also hated wallowing on her own, so after spending that afternoon at the pier with Asami, Korra had called Bolin to initiate their surf season, which they always did by painting new boards for themselves, (which her dad made in his free time). Hence why three days later they found themselves in Korra's garage sitting on the concrete floor covered in paint (very reminiscent of their kindergarten days).

Korra had spent hours attempting to mix a shade of green that she later realized was about the same as a glass of strong green tea, with the sun shining through the ice cubes, a reminder her of what her mother would supply them with in the summers (and secretly, of Asami's eyes) which she'd intertwined with a light, but traditional, water tribe blue in circular crashing waves around the board, meeting at the middle with a black tribal killer whale.

"Have you ever made a board without blue in it Kor," Bolin asks, breaking the pleasant silence between them.

"Nope. It looks good on me, and I look good on it. Plus, I have to respect the ocean spirit a bit if I'm going to be carving him up later," Korra grinned. They'd made at least ten boards together, one every year since her father would let them, and each time she'd managed to throw in her favorite blue (because unfortunately she wouldn't have a completely blue board, lest she lose it in the ocean) even if it matched with the rest of her design terribly.

"True," Bolin mused, holding up his masterpiece, which was a bright yellow, with what she assumed was a giant green swamp monster on it (Bolin's art skills also hadn't improved since kindergarten, and were actually wildly popular with the kids at the beach) "maybe I should include some on my mermaid's tail."

"I thought that was a fucking swamp monster," Korra gaped, leaving her station to inspect it more closely. "Why does it have such sharp teeth?"

"This isn't your average _Little Mermaid_ mermaid Korra. I need something that will scare away the elephant koi."

"Oh, cause its not like the elephant-koi couldn't swallow you and your giant head whole."

"You're just jealous your imagination isn't as vivid as mine, buddy. I'm telling you, the ladies will love it."

"Ladies?"

"Opal and Asami."

"I don't count?"

"Do you love it?" he asks, waving the hideous mermaid in her face.

"No."

"Then no."

* * *

They set everything up to dry before Bolin picked up his phone for the first time in what had been at least seven hours, the longest they had ever sit still for anything.

"Hey, just curious, are you mad at Asami?" he asked, scrolling though all the messages he'd ignored earlier.

Korra looked up from staring at the green on her board, frowning.

"No, why?"

"Asami just texted me that she hasn't heard from you in a few days, and is assuming you are," he explained showing her the phone. "She wants to know if I've seen you."

"Oh, uh, that's probablyyy because my phones broken. It fell the other day* and is in like, a bajillion pieces. Tell her no, not mad, and sorry, my phone's broken, and uh, that I said "Hi"!"

 _*This is not the complete truth, it went down a little more like this:_

After completing her sulking -and calling Bolin to set up their arts and crafts session, she'd received a few "updates" from Asami.

 _My Cherry Pie: 12:26 p.m.: I think I'm broken._

 _Korra: 12:34 p.m: found something even the best engineer in the world can't fix?_

 _My Cherry Pie: 12:35 p.m.: My specialty isn't private parts. And I don't want to imagine a welding torch anywhere near there._

Cue the beginning of Korra's freakout.

 _Korra: 12:38 p.m: do I even want to knowww_

 _My Cherry Pie: 12:38 p.m.: Had my father walked into his office last night, he would have seen: me, fully naked, riding Iroh on his giant leather chair, with scratch marks on my back._

 _My Cherry Pie: 12:40 p.m.: Had my father walked into his office five minutes after that, he would have seen: first, Iroh's ass, but then me, laying on his desk, coming for the third time._

 _Korra: 12:42 p.m: **death emoticon**_

 _Korra: 12:43 p.m: **death emoticon**_

 _My Cherry Pie: 12:45 p.m.: You can say that again._

 _My Cherry Pie: 12:45 p.m.: Actually twice more, because I came four times._

 _Korra: 12:46 p.m: **death emoticon death emoticon**_

 _Korra: 12:46 p.m: want us to bring you a wheelchair?_

 _My Cherry Pie: 12:48 p.m.: I would prefer a nice massage._

 _Korra: 12:48 p.m:…on the private parts?_

 _My Cherry Pie: 12:48 p.m.: Oh, yeah, if you wouldn't mind. Iroh does it really well, though. Sprits, Korra, I think I love him._

Cue Korra's dropping her phone, and then, in a mixture of anger, jealousy, hurt, (mostly anger), and whatever else you could call it, purposely dropping the 25lb weight she had been curling in her other hand, straight on top of it.

Her phone really was currently in a bajillion pieces somewhere in her room, but she'd decided against getting a new one in order to (hopefully) avoid another such exchange, and give her time to punch the shit out of her heavy bag (CONVENIENTLY NOW NAMED IROH). (How could she love something so dumb and stupid?)

"Okay!" Bolin complied, never even asking if it was even possible for Korra to be mad at Asami, (and truthfully, it really wasn't, but now she couldn't help but think her feelings were making it seem that way, by Asami's reaction. Great.), "I told her we'd hang with her tomorrow, show her the new boards!" He added.

Just great.

* * *

As promised, Bolin did show up at her place the next day, off the walls, with Mako and Asami already in tow, to jump in her bed at seven a.m. After complaining to Korra the day before, he had immediately gone home and planned a journey down the Republic Shore to Tianya Haijiao Beach, (point for Bolin for waiting to get her last, and thus allowing her to sleep latest, negative point for Bolin for waking her up at all, but, at least he broke even) insisting since they couldn't see Opal as often as he'd like, he'd plan out the most fun day possible with her where she was- and since today just so happened to have perfect beach weather, he didn't bother waiting for another opportunity.

It had been disgustingly humid he past couple days, and really hot (which do not even talk to Asami about how much that sucked for her hair) but today was a perfect 90, with no humidity and a cool breeze, not to mention a lack of traffic from it being a Tuesday. It also seemed as though Bolin's excitement about all of this had dissipated any possibility of awkwardness Korra imagined Asami might feel, and actually having to show up at Korra's place to wake her up rather than calling her, seemed like proof enough to Asami that her phone really had broken.

During their three hour drive there (Mako's three hour drive), they ate Wawa subs and Hot Fries for breakfast, sang all their favorite 00's songs at the top of their lungs, including Bolin jumping into the backseat to join in on Korra's soulful rendition of Yellowcard's "Only One," both vying for Asami's attention, while Mako yelled at them to put their seatbelts back on. (If you asked Bolin, he'd tell you it made Asami tear up a bit) (and it was only much later she'd agree with him, reluctant to admit it was the _first time I'd ever been sang to, alright?_ ) (which in turn made both Korra and Bolin tear up).

They'd arrived in high spirits, Korra, cause she got to sit next to Asami, (and at least admit in song, she was her only one), Bolin because he was so close to Opal, Mako because they hadn't died (he's a simple soul), and Asami because the "glee was infectious" (…she'd been sang to…3).

Opal's family had jet skis they'd hitched to the car, but they ended up surfing most of the time on their new creations, (Korra's green had been spot the fuck on, and Bolin had freaked out when something nibbled at his toe, meaning his swamp monster would not protect him, but rubbing in Korra's face that Asami and Opal had "loved" it) and burying Opal in the sand, which gave Bolin time to pepper her with sandy kisses (not that she wouldn't have allowed it anyway). Korra even once gave up her board to body surf on Mako, who, don't ask how he agreed to that, ended with them on a seven second screaming high while it worked, and a pile of scratched up bodies when the wave eventually broke and dumped them in the sand (totally worth it, Mako would say, as he picked a tiny shell out of his ear). In her glee Korra had told Asami she could even ride her later if she wanted, which left them both sputtering messes, (and Mako/Bolin/Opal on the ground) and Asami attempted to hide her blush under the guise of sunburn.

Starved from their wave riding, they'd bought various seafoods from the market on the pier and steamed them in a giant pot full of old bay (Bolin's been on a crab frenzy) at the house. Dessert was Opal's grandmother's brownies, which were so good Korra nearly ate twelve, and Bolin cried.

Afterwards, they changed and showered (because we cannot go anywhere smelling like shrimp, Bo, even though he argued everyone at the shore smells like shrimp) and headed off to the Cabbage Bar, to "beat the clock" ( _where the drinks start at .50 cents at 8pm and increase .25 cents every hour until midnight!_ ) Mako mentally preparing to have to drag at least one of them back home.

Their rule was no one could spend more than eight bucks, and all five of them had to participate in each round. Korra valiantly offered to buy the first round, (coming in at a whopping $2.50), and so it went:

Round 1: 8:35p.m. Purchaser: Korra. Cost: $2.50. Toast: to Opal (followed by Bolin's whine that she'd stolen his idea)

Round 2: 8:48p.m. Purchaser: Bolin. Cost: $2.50. Toast: to Opal's Grandmother's Brownies (followed by Korra's whine that he'd stolen her next idea)

Round 3: 8:59p.m. Purchaser: Asami (way to beat it). Cost: $2.50. Toast: Something her mother once said: "that life comes in waves, and all you have to do is surf"(followed by a chorus of 'awee's' and lots of hugging)

Round 4: 9:18p.m. Purchaser: Mako. Cost: $3.75. Toast: Surfing through life on human surfboards (cue awkward Korra & Asami which only got worse at Opal's clarification about Beyoncé's definition of 'surfboard')

Round 5: 9:35p.m. Purchaser: Korra. Cost: $3.75. Toast: There are tall ships and small ships and ships that sail the sea but the BESTSHIPSAREFRIENDSHIPSANDMAYTHEYALWAYSBE (followed by drunken cheering)

Round 6: 9:55p.m. Purchaser: Bolin. Cost: $3.75. Toast: IS THIS THE REMIX TO IGNITION-

Which led them to the dance floor, long into the night, consisting mostly of Korra and Asami pushing women into Mako, insisting that he would find them a attractive on Mako's Taco scale. They couldn't find Bolin half the time (his glee literally made him bounce off the walls) and Opal spent most of her night chasing after him, while Korra talked Mako up to a nine on the scale, promising her that if she took the chance, he'd let the fire out once they were alone (winkyface). Opal eventually drunkenly took offense to these meetings, stating that if they had been introducing Mako to nine's and tens, there was no way she had not made the cut.

Bolin then drunkenly took offense as well.

While they argued over semantics and how to preserve the scale, Korra and Asami had been coaxed over by a group of Air Nation guys looking for partners. This was extremely short lived, because Korra almost punched one in the face, and the other creeped Asami out by asking for her hair. They eventually shimmied away together, pretending not to make eye contact with anyone else. Which was really making it difficult for Korra not to stare.

Because please.

If we're going to talk about the dance floor, we cannot talk about it without mentioning Asami's dancing when "No Diggity" came on.

But don't mention it to Korra.

She will short circuit.

Just her hips. Her tight jeans. Her everything. Not to mention halfway, she'd put her arms around Korra's neck, and swayed with her (ayo ayo ayoayooooooooooo).

Man, that girl look good.

Before Korra completely lost it, she'd managed to hold on to Asami's hips, look deeply into Asami's eyes, and tell her: She needed to back it up.

She turned around in Asami's grasp and began to shake her ass into Asami's middle, which caused Asami to break out laughing, snorting while attempting to hold on to Korra's hips and not be pushed back into the mass of giant guys lurking behind them. When she couldn't stop Korra's progress, she'd jumped on her back, after which Korra somehow jumped onto a table, which got them kicked out of the bar.

"I will find you at the beach my other loves!" Bolin had called after them, he and Opal still too caught up in each other's embrace to leave just yet. Mako had been chatting up a lady, which cannot be interrupted, Korra insisted, so they agreed to meet on the beach.

They walked together to the boardwalk (literally, since Asami was still on Korra's back, Korra relishing the heat and the feel of Asami's form) and eventually (after twenty minutes of bickering on which direction and Korra calling Asami 'fat') found the spot on the beach they had hidden fireworks earlier. Korra immediately collapsed, backwards on top of Asami.

They drunkenly lay there together laughing with Asami struggling to breathe under Korra's weight for a while before Korra shifts and asks, a little too loudly (since her ears were still ringing from the bass), "HEY! Which one is Sirius Minor?"

"Do you really think I have any idea?" Asami asks, also speaking at bit too loudly.

"You're supposed to be the genius."

"I remembered those dots for that test and that test only. You're supposed to be the Tribal Hunter."

"I can always tell what they are when they're in person, and I'm in the South. On paper, not so much."

"Clearly you don't know Sirius Minor," Asami teases, pinching Korra's side.

"They're DIFFERENT there 'Sami," Korra defends seriously, before squirming off of her friend and into the sand.

"Okay," Asami laughs, always finding it funny how vehemently Korra will defend her icy home, before turning to face her. "Tell me about one."

"Oh, uh…well. I guess, we don't really have a lot of stories about stars, actually. Mostly about the sun and the moon, and how the southern lights are like, sky spirits dancing between them." Korra says, squinting up at the sky, as if she squinted hard enough, she could see all three.

Asami just smiles, (thinking if there should be any legends about the sun and moon, they should be about how they make Korra's eyes change like the water they reflect so vividly. When its sunny, they look like the ocean, bright and blue and flowing with energy ready to crash into you, and when she's looking at the moon, like now, they look like the underside of an iceberg, deep and piercing, but smooth and calm.)

(And there'd be the part of the story she doesn't know, that when she's looking at Asami (her sun and moon), there are spirits dancing between them.)

"Hey," she calls out, breaking Korra out of her moon gazing.

"Hm?"

"You're really not mad at me, right?" Asami asks timidly, surely only because she's drunk, and she gets more worried than usual about everything then (and it is rather unusual for them to go more than a day without speaking, isn't it?).

Korra smiles, thinking there is no way she could be mad at the beautiful being in front of her, (even if she does love someone else) shy and looking like there's nothing in the world more important than what Korra happens to think of her right now (does she love someone else?).

"No," she says. "I'm not." But Asami doesn't seem relieved.

"Not just about the phone thing," she adds, sitting up to look into the water.

"Then about what?"

"Me," Asami says. "Going away."

Korra sits up too, but can't bring herself to say what she's agreed to with Bolin, not in those exact words anyway. The Fire Nation is very far away, and she doesn't want Asami to translate her hurt into guilt (or to know she probably hates it extra hard cause of her dumb, Fire Nation Pharaoh). So she settles with "I'm not mad, I just- I'll miss you a lot." (This does not seem to even begin to describe it, but what can she say?)

"I'll miss you too." Asami looks solemnly into the sand, drunkenly upset she'd even brought up the topic, especially now when they were both more susceptible to crying. "I don't know what I'll do without you there," she adds softly.

Korra had wanted to know if Asami would hurt too, and now she had her answer. But she had been avoiding it, and avoiding it for so long, knowing (regardless) what she would tell Asami in response to any weakness: Knowing she'd be encouraging, knowing she would push aside Asami's feeling of need, when she just really wanted to agree and beg for her to stay, or beg for Asami to pack her into one of her twenty bags she'd probably take, or just kiss her and have that be so convincing Asami would never dream of leaving (I don't know what I'll do without you here either). But Asami had already had too many hardships, too many people not being there for her and too many reasons to leave, and Korra couldn't bear to be one of them if she wasn't received properly.

"You'll do amazingly," Korra tells her, (the ice in her eyes melting a bit). "It's like your mom says. If there's anyone who can ride any wave life throws at them, it's you."

Asami looks up tearily at Korra, whether at the mention of her mother or something else, Korra doesn't know. "But I won't have my best surfboard," Asami sniffles. "Not the stupid Beyoncé one!"

"I'll always be your board," Korra smiles, throwing her arm around Asami's shoulders and nuzzling her hair. "You won't ever have to go out there without me."

"You sure? You just seem like you've been, I don't know- 'off"?"

"I'm positive."

* * *

Asami sniffles, and wipes her eyes, chuckling after a while.

"What?"

"Maybe I will have to take you up on your offer for a ride," she smirks.

"Shutup!" Korra says, pushing Asami into the dune, hoping the darkness covers how beet red she must be.

They wrestle like that a bit longer, poking fun at each other and being poked at, until they here the bumbling stumbling of what can only be Bolin.

"Guys!" they hear him yell. "Fireworks!"

"You won't be touching any," Mako slaps him on the back. "You'll lose half your fingers."

"Someone had a lot of fun," Korra laughs to Asami, pulling Asami to stand with her.

Asami just smiles, and pulls Korra into a tight hug. "I know I did."

"Awe comeon, Mako, I promise I don't even have any fingers, I'll run really fast away and stuff and-"

"And I'll build him some protective gear," Asami cuts in, having never been able to deny her little Bolin anything.

She ends up rigging a sweet launcher modeled after the rockets in Mulan (with the avalanche, Mako, and the big Hun, you can be him and I can shoot it at you) so Bolin could hold the rocket in his hand (with supervision) and launch it out of the tube instead of drunkenly attempting to run bloody murder every time he light one up. He did manage to scare Mako a few times, and it could have been very romantic, once they got a rhythm, (how could fireworks on the beach not be?) but no one stopped long enough between the thrills and Bolin's shrill screams to notice, maybe because between them, the love could just be unspoken.

Ever faithful, at the end of the night, Mako did drag his little bro Bo home, and everything else aside, Korra may have gotten to snuggle with Asami that night (one more fear she'd throw away in favor of the moment).


	4. I Will Follow You Into the Dark

Korra's prior confidence was everything but annihilated. She'd hit a complete 180- and not in the cool way. She had been so sure a week ago that she was going to spill her guts to Asami, and that they'd run along together into the sunset, while it lasted. But now, she was beginning to think three months _for sure_ was not enough time to prepare for something as momentous as this, and by the time she got it out, it would most likely not even be worth it, because Asami basically just told Korra she need her support now more than ever.

The prospect of Asami being needy for her would normally be heart-wrenchingly romantic to Korra, but when placed in perspective of her unsuspecting friend wanting to be able to breach a new chapter in her life with someone to lean on, it sort of lost that appeal, and her sense of duty to her longtime friend was all that remained.

The appeal fell even further, when in the last fifteen minutes of her shift at the outdoor pool, Iroh ( _IROH_ ) and his friends from the lacrosse team showed up (which had never happened before on her watch- she was going to murder Hasook for convincing her to take an afternoon shift). They sat in the hot tub for a while, supposedly relaxing after a "killer gym sesh" (which Korra wanted to call douchey so badly, but, unfortunately, she did the exact same thing herself), and she purposefully avoided their circle (they were like three feet taller than the water, they would be fine) by taking her sweet time adjusting the goggles on the little kids bopping around in the shallow end.

She would have gotten away with it too, if Iroh hadn't left his group and approached her (two minutes to go, seriously), all tall and sleek and muscular and what the fuck, he has dimples too? They fucking make lists on Buzzfeed dedicated to guys with dimples and this motherfu-

"Hey! Korra, right?" ( _good GOD his voice is hot, too? I cannot catch a break._ )

"Yeah? What-"

She was cut off by Iroh pulling her in for a tight (drippy) hug against his bare chest (ugh, gross, this is what Asami is always feeling up), before pulling away and holding her at arms length.

"What was that for?" she asked incredulously. (This was literally the guy she hated on 89% of her waking life, her competition, the guy she punched in the face in her daydreams even though they had never officially met-)

"Sorry for getting you wet," Iroh started, before he was interrupted by:

"That's what she said!" by one of his bros behind them.

Korra rolled her eyes, and tried her best not to smile.

"And sorry for that too…" he said sheepishly. "Oh, and uh, that was to thank you!"

"For _what_?" (Seriously… what?)

"For everything," he said, making a motion like he was praying to the spirits, before continuing. "Asami is so hot, (everything we do is hot, he whispered, and Korra died a little on the inside), there's no way I could have gotten with her without you being okay with it."

"Me?!" Korra yelled (Okay with it? Who the hell does this guy think he is? Okay with it is the last thing I am-)

"Yeah! You're her best friend right?"

"Yeah, but, I mean, she's an adult and whatever- she can do –whoever- she wants, and stuff, you know?" She rambled, the conflicting thoughts colliding in her mind ( _is he serious_?) (plus, _this is awkward, right_? _we're in awkward territory here_?). She was lucky she didn't lose it right then and there (fuck geometry, this is her least favorite subject).

"I know, but I know how girls are with each other's opinions and stuff so I'm glad you're so cool about the whole thing," he explained. "Otherwise our arrangement probably would not have lasted this long."

 _Arrangement_? "Whadyou-"

Korra was cut off by similarly pale arms slinging around his shoulder.

"Hey Korra!" It was Mako (goddamn it Mako, ten minutes ago you would have been perfect now I'm about to get an actual reason to punch this guy and you're all ruining my investigation, some cop you are-) "This guy bothering you?" he joked.

"Shutup, Mako," Iroh laughed, play punching him in the shoulder (they had played football together through their younger youth) "I was just saying "hi"."

"Trying to gain favor in the family?" Mako asked.

"Can't hurt, ya know?" Iroh smiled. "Nice meeting you by the way," he added to Korra.

"Sure. I'm gonna go clean up for the next guy before I get outta here," she told them, pointing back to the scattered mess of pool noodles on the deck, before backing away quickly.

"I'll go help her," Mako offered, adding a last wave and "see-ya" to Iroh, who returned it and retreated back to the hot tub.

A few minutes later he found Korra angrily stuffing noodles into the kickboard container, and muttering something about dimples? "You alright over here?"

"Yeah, great, lets get out of here," she huffed, taking the last of the noodles out of Mako's arms and throwing them into another container. "Hasook, you good?" she called to the boy now taking up the lifeguard chair.

He answered with a thumbs-up, and Korra was gone.

Mako ran to catch up with her, throwing back the finger for Hasook who'd blown the whistle at him for "running in the pool area" (probably to embarrass him) (which worked).

She was out front waiting for him by the time he found her.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"Nothing, you ready?"

"Yeah," he fumbled with the keys in his pocket, before grabbing Korra's arm as she prepared to stalk off again. "Wait! Seriously, what is up with you?"

"Nothing." She continued their walk to the car.

"Korra."

"Mako."

"I will leave you here."

She really needed to start driving to work. "Fine. Can we talk about it later?" If she stayed here, she would lose it. All the cool and calm and acceptance she had been trying to radiate would explode, and turn into the exact opposite, probably killing her, Mako and Iroh at the same time.

"Like ' _in the car'_ later or ' _in twenty years_ ' later?"

"How about both?"

"No way! Seriously, what is it? Is it Iroh? Did he say something to you? Was it those douche lacrosse guys cause-"

"How the fuck does she like that guy?" she asked, as they got in the car.

Mako followed her in, and saw her pouting in the passenger seat, arms crossed. He decided to start moving, so at least she couldn't return to her argument of needing to get out, and thought maybe the drive would help loosen her up.

"How does who like what guy?" he asked (yes, he did learn that one in detective school).

"Asami," she clarified. "How does she like that guy?"

"That guy being Iroh?" (Always get them to answer in the affirmative, Interrogation 101)

"Yes, _Iroh_." She scoffed (doing good, detectivvee). "He's so…ugh, I don't know!"

"Did he say something to you?"

"No," she seethed. The problem was now that it was clear to her Iroh seemed fine and polite and whatever–(in addition to all his physical assets) which she was now realizing was worse than if he wasn't fine, cause then she could have just punched him, but still, something about him rubbed her the wrong way. "He didn't say anything, I guess it's more like, how he said it?" She tried to clarify.

The drive seemed to be calming her down, so Mako thought it safe to press on. "What'd you guys talk about?"

"He was talking about Asami," she told him. "He basically thanked me for letting him get with her," she added, groaning, and thumping her head on the dashboard (because if this was the case, she was going to have to break another ten thousand phones to get over it).

"Hey! Stop that!" Mako swatted at her, (this was not good, he did not like to be distracted while driving, and he had a feeling he needed to make eye contact with Korra to make this conversation work). "You let him? Didn't she decide to date him on her own?" he asked, holding an arm across her shoulders to keep her up against the seat.

"Yes- but, he made it seem like me being okay with it is the only reason he gets to keep doing it- her- ugh this is so stupid!"

"I mean, you are okay with it, aren't you?" he asked, feeling as though he was treading into rough waters here-

Which was confirmed by the white-walker murder inducing ice glare he earned from Korra.

She didn't say anything for a second, before realizing her faux pas, and looking back towards the road. "Yeah, well, I guess I am," she resigned. "What can I do?"

Mako had always been too practical for rhetorical questions, so his answer was not particularly what she wanted to hear, because she would have preferred to hear nothing. Ever. "You could talk to her. Tell her you don't like him. Or, that you like her." He peered over hesitantly, not sure if she'd try and throw him out of the car for that one.

Her following silence was all he needed to know he'd hit the jackpot (What was that, Chief Beifong? Yeah, seven questions, and the perp confessed. I know, my interrogation skills are impressive, but I'm not ready to take over for you just yet-)

"How do you know?" she asked weakly, as she slumped down on the seat.

"We used to date, remember?" he asked smiling. "Contrary to popular belief, I know how you work." When she didn't react, he play shoved her in the seat. "Plus, I've seen you like people before, your approach hasn't changed."

"My approach," she repeated.

"You're like a puppy in love, and when anyone gets in the way, you turn into a rabid wolf," he explained simply. "You're the same with the people your friends date."

"Seems like you've put some thought into that."

"When you liked Sokka when we were ten, puppy. When Bo liked Ginger, wolf. When you liked me, puppy. When Katara tried to make a move on me when you liked me, wolf. Bo and Opal, puppy. Asami and Iroh, wolf- and now you're a giant sad puppy because-"

"Okay, okay! I get it. I'm transparent as fuck, what do you suggest I do about it?"

"Well first, let's go to the store and get you a new phone, so we don't have to guess where you are all the time."

(Korra is the friend who needs a new phone every two months, (and who they make those giant heavy duty ones for besides construction workers) because she either breaks them on purpose, or loses them, falls on them, gets pushed into pools with them in her pocket, leaves them on the hood of the car and runs over them, drops them in the toilet, uses them as a hockey pucks- you name it, she's done it. And now I guess you can add "drops weights on it" to the list, but they have long since grown accustomed to this habit of hers.)

"Then we can figure it out," he finished, patting her shoulder. "Together."

"Fine."

* * *

They spent about half an hour in the Verizon store, not because it ever took Korra that long to pick a phone (she was just going to lose it anyway) but because the girl behind the counter was cute and Korra could not leave without throwing Mako at her. That had been like twenty minutes ago, and they were still talking (about what, she didn't know. Phones? Phone cases? Phone plans? How was he not using this as a perfect segue into getting a _phone number_? It never comes up this organically, does she have to do everything herself?)

"Hey so, speaking of phones," she cut in, "which is what I'm assuming this is about," she pointed between the two of them, "how about you two exchange numbers, so that I'm not late for that appointment you were driving me to, Mako?"

Mako looked at her blankly for a moment, before being snapped out of it by the girl behind the counter.

"Sure," she said sweetly, before taking Mako's phone out of his hands and typing in her number. "I'll get yours when you call me later," she added to him.

"Uh, yeah, sure!" he grinned stupidly, waving goodbye as Korra dragged him out by the arm and back to the car.

"How are you _such_ a bad closer, Mako," she asked exasperatedly.

"Because! I've got you to do it for me," he grinned, pulling her under his arm and rubbing his fist in her hair.

"You better not fuck it up," she growled, trying to pull out of his grasp, "I need to be able to come back to this store," she added (which was very true).

When he finally let her go, she pulled her hair back up, huffing, as he made his way back to her house.

They set up camp on the backyard deck, with a cooler full of beer and a Korra's phone book (she had taken to writing the important ones down, since her phones were usually too messed up to salvage anything from) so Mako could read off the numbers while she typed them in.

"Oh baby, Shin is in here, you want that one?' he teased, as he flipped through the pages.

"Fuck you, and yes, cause last time I didn't put it in, he called and I answered it because I didn't know who it was. So now it's a necessary precaution," she explained, sipping her beer.

He chuckled, reading off the number. "Why don't you just go out with the guy, put him out of his misery?'

"I don't do pity dates. Remember your friend, Wu?"

Mako's chuckling turned into full-blown laughter at the memory. Wu had gotten extremely drunk at dinner, thrown up in the bathroom and then gotten into a cab while Korra cleaned it up. It was not until the waiter approached her to pay the bill that she had even realized he was missing.

Korra threw ice at him from the cooler.

"Hey! I lost on that one too," he reminded.

That made Korra laugh. "You deserved it!" She had called Mako at one in the morning, (who had work at six a.m) after interrogating the doorman as to where the last cab had gone, to meet her at the train station to find his friend that was on some train to no one knows where, that they alsoended up on at the last minute, screaming as it left the station before they could wake Wu up from his nap on one of the seats and drag him off. They'd ended up somewhere on the outskirts of Republic City, before calling Korra's dad to come find them. Mako was late to work.

"I think your dad still hates me for that one," Mako mused.

"Probably, he hates waking up. Its where I get it from."

"You know who your dad would love, though," he asked.

"Don't say it."

"Asami."

"Oh," she sat up. "I was really expecting you to say Shin."

"No. It's funny how you can deal with all those weirdos, but when it comes to who you actually want, you're worse than me!"

"It's cause I waste all my good lines on you idiots," she defended.

"I know. And I appreciate it. I do," he smiled. "But maybe this time around, you could stop thinking about what other people want and do what's best for you. Be a little selfish for once."

"Right, cause that worked out so well with us?"

"If it's making you crazy like this, it might be better to get it off your chest," he answered. "And we were never good to begin with, we let everything run wild. We were both young and selfish and stupid- I can tell you've already put more consideration into this than we did in our entire relationship."

"Yeah, but that's cause this isn't just "other people" I'm thinking about. This is Asami. Of course I have to care about what she wants," she added desperately. She understood about needing to be selfish once in a while, but she did not want it to turn out anything like her relationship with Mako (though they were much better friends now). If she got to the point of a relationship with Asami, she would prefer it stayed a relationship. "You're also being very nonchalant about this," she added looking over to him. "I also can't believe I'm telling you about it."

"We've always been brutally honest with each other," he said. "You roll with my punches, and I roll with yours, remember?"

She did. After their breakup they had realized they never really communicated, and it was worse when things like jealousy got in the way. But what had always remained true between them was their support for each other. That's probably why she'd thought they would be good together in the first place. They might not have always said the right thing, but when it came down to it, Korra would do anything for Mako, and he would do anything for her. It actually didn't surprise her at all now that she had let him in on her secret so easily, mostly because she couldn't lie once he figured out something about her (their communication issues were only solved by blunt honesty) and Mako had always been synonymous with support.

"You're not mad I'm going after your ex?" she said slyly.

"You mean my middle school "hold hands and eat lunch together" ex?" He laughed. "I think we maybe kissed each other on the cheek, once."

"Wow, you have really got the moves, Mak."

"I learned from the best," he shot finger pistols at her. "Seriously though, you actually are usually really good with crushes, what's going on? You were a mess earlier. And I guess it explains the last few weeks, too."

"Have I been that obvious?"

"Only in retrospect."

Mako was also correct on this point. When it came to romantic history, Korra's had been far more prolific than Asami's, and rivaled even Bolin's. Sure she'd liked Sokka in the sixth grade or whatever, but in high school she'd dated Mako, (and not in the same way Asami had dated Mako), had a fling with a guy named Wing, (she liked his hair better then Wei's) which was how they'd all met Opal, and then had her weird rival hate sex relationship with Kuvira in their last year. She'd had her share of hookups as well, which all came easily with her popularity. She'd never been particularly awkward, except in the circumstances where her friends threw someone who was already awkward at her and she had to deal with them (see: Shin, Wu). But she suspected, in none of those cases, was she particularly, well, in love.

"She's different, Mako. She knows me better than anyone. I want to be there for her, all the time," she sighed. "And, obviously, there's Iroh, and the fact that she's leaving-"

He scoffed. "Her leaving won't change anything between you. Even I know that."

"Yeah well maybe her being in love with Iroh might," she added sadly.

" _Love_?" he yelled. "Since when! She hasn't told the rest of us anything like that, I thought they were just you know, friends with benefits!"

"I don't know, she mentioned it the other day, I just- I don't want to ruin anything, and now I want to kill myself cause apparently it's my fault they're even together!"

"We're going to have to figure that one out A.S.A.P," Mako said. "If we don't know for sure, there's no reason you should be beating yourself up for it." He threw his arm around her shoulders and brought her close. "I wouldn't give up if I were you. You might be a puppy for Asami, but I think she's one for you too."

"Shutup," she sighed, trying to wrestle out of his grip again. "We've never seen Asami puppy for anyone."

"Maybe because she's been doing it this whole time, and we never knew!"

"Mako, please-"

"No you please. If it's an investigation we need, it's an investigation we'll get. But please, really, don't be so hard on yourself. It's really weird to see you give up on something."

She squirmed in his grip some more. "You're going to mess up my hair again!" She yelled.

"If you get out of this headlock, I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you get through this. No matter the outcome. I'm here for you buddy."

"Fine!" she agreed.

They ended up in the yard surrounding the deck, wrestling and sliding, grass staining their clothes, until they realized they were cheers coming from the deck. They paused, still tangled, to see Asami and Bolin all dressed up, (since Asami sometimes took Bolin to work with her and her father to see if he could find anything he thought he'd like to do in the future) waving at them.

"Who's winning!?"Bolin called.

"Me," they answered in unison, which only caused them both to snap back into the struggle. Korra caught one last glance out of the corner of her eye of Asami, in her business suit, smiling at her, and that was all she needed. She threw her elbow out and into Mako's gut, which is what finally got him to let go.

"I want your help," she said sternly from the ground, panting.

"That was a fucking dirty way to get it," he wheezed. "But you win."

They were soon joined by their friends, who jumped into the pile on top of them, Asami kindly requesting they don't muck up her good white shirt.


	5. Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too

With Ikki and Jinora off at summer camp, Korra's babysitting duties had been "reduced" to Meelo and Rohan, which was actually more difficult than if she'd had the two girls to chase after them. She (her parents) had them for two days while Tenzin and Pema were at a yoga retreat in the mountains- and they ran (and crawled) everywhere- making it nearly impossible to keep track of them both. Currently, Senna was reading them a story, so Korra had some time to relax before they went nuts and were her problem again (there were only so many hours in a day she could pretend to be a four legged animal).

She went up to her room, checking her new phone she had kept safely away from the chaos on her pillow, to see if Mako had called. She knew it was way too early for that, and he would be at the station until at least nine p.m, so she hovered over to Asami's number instead, but hesitated.

With Mako knowing basically the only secret she had, she'd begun to spend a lot of time with him on his days off. (While Bolin had been a good for silent commiserating, it felt good to be able to say Asami's name so much, and talking to him helped her sort out all of the confusing things she was thinking). The only downside was now that she could talk about it, it made it almost more real. _Someone_ knew, even if it wasn't Asami herself, any every time she admitted it to him, it almost became easier to accept.

Mako tried to help in the romance department to the best of his ability, he really did, but she realized her mistake far too late (that she'd gone to _Mako_ for love advice. _Mako_.) He was not particularly creative in the "love" department, but she supposed he helped in the "let's find calm logical solutions like a detective" department since she was severely lacking in that one.

So far the only plans they had thought up were to rig some postcards with some version of her confession written on them and knock on Asami's door, like she was the weird guy from _Love Actually_. The only problem with that was she couldn't walk away if something went wrong; she'd have to get into her car and awkwardly speed away, possibly dropping some of the cards in her rush, which was not particularly appealing. She also did not think she had enough grace to pull something like that off, especially if there was a possibility of Hiroshi walking past the door halfway through the presentation.

Their second option, according to Mako, could be to play along with Asami. She had told him about the weird (awesome) flirting game they played, and Mako counseled that she had to follow any lead she had, and that one made the most sense for the outcome she desired. It was like going undercover to find a killer. (Asami was a killer).

Out of the choices she had, that one actually seemed the least terrible (awful/go kill yourself because you're so awkward) option. It did play on one of Korra's strengths, which was brash, mostly corny (but confident) one-liners. She took a breath, and went for it:

 _Korra: 2:43p.m: hey babe ;)_

 _Asamii: 2:45 p.m.: Hey, sugar **kissy emoticon** I see you got a new phone._

 _Korra: 2:45p.m: sure did. how else am I supposed to send you naughty pictures?_

 _Asamii: 2:47 p.m.: …I'm waiting_

 _Korra: 2:48p.m: not right now, the kids are still up!_

 _Asamii: 2:48 p.m.: :c_

 _Asamii: 2:48 p.m.: Not going to bring my babies to see me?_

 _Korra: 2:49p.m: where are you? the office?_

 _Asamii: 2:49 p.m.: Home office. It has a pool!_

 _Korra: 2:50 p.m: lol i'll see if meelo is intrigued._

 _Asamii: 2:50 p.m.: Of course he is. Are you?_

 _Korra: 2:51 p.m: only if you're wearing that little red suit I like_

 _Asamii: 2:52: p.m: Done._

And that's how, an hour later, she found herself at Asami's front door (Meelo would never say no to seeing Asami, and really, neither would she) with Rohan strapped to her chest in his baby carrier, and Meelo in his trunks and swimmies. Korra's mother was more than happy to drop her off since firstly, her car had the baby seat in it, and got forbid Korra drive with children and secondly, them being here would prevent from destroyingher house (her giant child Korra included). She was thankful Asami was so eager to spend time with them.

Korra had let Meelo chase her around the estate, (she was impressed his tiny legs carried him the entire away around) before they splashed around in Asami's pool in the backyard. Asami held Rohan in her lap in the few inches of water that led to the shallow end, while he happily slapped the surface of the water and threw away the rubber turtleduck Asami kept placing in front of him. Korra was launching Meelo off her shoulders so he could slam-dunk in the mini basketball net hanging in the deep end.

Every now and then, Korra would steal a glance at Asami, in her (fucking tiny, red, this should be illegal) bathing suit (that Korra really did like), giggling along with Rohan (he seemed to have inherited his brother's affinity for pretty women named Asami), her heart aching at the sight. Being happy together like this seemed so natural. But her reverie was consistently disturbed by Meelo climbing on her shoulders, pulling her hair and demanding to be launched. After the next thousand times, Meelo eventually got tired of her and laid in one of the inner tubes, telling Korra to leave, since "she was in the way of his sun".

She swam into the shallows where Asami was, beaching herself in the last few inches of water between Asami's legs in front of Rohan. Having not noticed her approaching, Rohan squealed and hugged her head, laughing as she growled into his tummy and pretended to bite at his tiny arms.

"Oh no!" Asami played, picking Rohan up. "You got caught by the giant polar-bear dog! We have to get her!"

Rohan seemed to understand the excitement and took up the rubber turtleduck and threw it right at Korra's nose. She yelped and fell next to them into the water holding it, pretending to be dead, which both Rohan and Asami found endlessly funny.

"Sorry," Asami tried to apologize between giggles. Rohan was still slapping Korra's arm, squealing in joy that he'd defeated the polar bear dog. "I tried to teach him how to squirt water out of it, but I think he just prefers throwing it."

"He's got a good arm," Korra said, pulling on her nose. "Maybe football is in his future! Isn't that right, you tiny quarterback!" she took him up and threw him in the air, still giggling.

* * *

A few hours later, as the sun began to set, they'd finally begun to relax. Rohan was changed, powdered, and fed, snoozing in his carrier on Korra's chest, and Korra snored right with him, lying in the hammock next to the pool. Asami was inside, presumably making them dinner (heart eyes face).

Korra was woken suddenly by a splash of cold water in her face. She leapt out of the hammock at full attention, nearly tripping as her foot caught in part of the net; only to see a little Meelo grinning up at her, bucket in hand.

"The heck was that, Meelo!" she whisper- yelled, rubbing her face and marveling at how somehow Meelo had only managed to wet her, and not his sleeping brother.

Meelo's threw his hands on his hips, presuming he'd gotten away with dousing his friend. "You were definitely snoring on the job, Lifesaver. It's a good thing I can swim, or you'd be in big trouble."

"Life _guard_ , toothless." She scoffed. "And I'm off the clock."

"I have some teeth!" Meelo yelled, before retreating back to the pool to retrieve more water, which, he would ultimately attempted to wet Korra a second time with, before she picked him up and lobbed him into the deep end, bucket, swimmies and all.

"Hey!" came Asami's yell from the kitchen window overlooking the yard, after hearing the yelling and splashes. "Are you throwing our kids in the pool?"

"Just the one!" she called back. She watched as Meelo made his way back to the wall, and she patted Rohan's back as he sleep-fussed over the ruckus.

"I like that one!" she heard from the house, "Be nice!"

She pouted and walked over to the pool with one of Asami's fluffy towels and picked Meelo up and out of it, wrapping him almost three times around with the giant cloth. "You're lucky Asami sticks up for you," she teased.

Meelo huffed, shivering in Korra's arms. "I don't like you, anymore."

"Aw, why not? Cause you can't pick me up to get revenge yet? That day will come." She soothed.

"I can't wait for it," he frowned, as Korra settled him in, all wrapped up, next to her on the hammock.

"Tell me more about how much you like Asami, and less about how you don't like me," she said, hoping to brighten his mood. "You couldn't shut up about her earlier." If there's anything they both shared, it was the ability for just the mention of Asami's name to brighten their day.

He said he would only tell her, and forgive her for throwing him in the pool, if she bought him an Italian Ice from Rita's later, to which she agreed, because who doesn't like Italian ice?

"Well she's pretty and really nice to me, _unlike you_." he said.

"Well, you're not like her annoying little brother, so she can stand to like you."

"You think she likes me?!" he whispered frantically, eyes wide.

"You think who likes you?" came Asami's soft voice from behind them, a smile in her tone. She came up to the hammock, (looking like a goddess with the sun setting behind her, still in her tiny red bathing suit, though she had (unfortunately) added shorts to the equation) and ran a hand through Korra's bangs, waiting for Meelo's response.

Korra was glad Asami's attention was on Meelo's blush, otherwise she would have noticed Korra's.

"Nobody," he squeaked.

"Awe, come on, tell me!" she cooed, moving to sit between Korra's legs in the hammock, facing Meelo. "I'm sure she does, she would be lucky to have someone strong and smart like you around!" she poked his nose.

"Uh-huh," Meelo replied, mesmerized by the older girl in front of him. "Well, do you like anyone?" he asked eyebrow raised, (Korra's eyes were already wide as saucers because of where Asami was sitting, and she clutched tiny Rohan harder to her chest at the question, thank god no one is looking at her).

Asami placed a finger on her chin and pretended to be thinking. "Yep," she said, winking at Meelo. "There's someone." (She'd have to feed this info to Detective! Like? Last time you said love!)

Meelo blushed even harder and looked up at Korra, wide eyed, as if to confirm that there was some lingering possibility that this "someone" could be him.

Korra just smiled back, raising her eyebrows to entertain Meelo's lovesick thoughts, much to Asami's entertainment, and ignored her own thoughts, which told her the odds of that person being her were not at all in her favor. Maybe _Meelo_ was ranking higher right now, _uuuuuuugggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh_ -

"Food is ready, you two, if you want to come inside," Asami added, motioning to take Rohan from Korra. "You can get Meelo changed up in the guest room upstairs, and I'll put Rohan to sleep in the living room."

"Thanks," Korra croaked, thankful Asami now had Rohan in her arms, because her heart continuously thundering in her chest from Asami's proximity would have undoubtedly woken him up. It was a second before she moved, taking in the scene before her. Asami sitting in her lap, surrounded by children, getting ready for dinner. She could faint. Apparently she looked it too, because Asami's voice broke her out of her daydreaming.

"Kor…"

"Oh, yeah right," she started, picking the bundle of Meelo up. "We would love to join you for dinner, but your giant butt is in our way."

"Oh wow, I am so. _flattered_. you noticed it," Asami laughed.

"I mean, its so big, how could I not?" Korra asked, sounding incredulous. She reached out from under Meelo and pinched Asami's right butt cheek, which is what finally caused her to yelp and jump up, playfully kicking Korra in the shin.

"Hurry up, I don't want it getting cold and then you complaining to me about my cooking sucking."

"I would never," Korra promised, throwing Meelo over her shoulder, and bounding into the house.

* * *

Once they'd eaten and settled the boys down to sleep (it was only nine and Meelo was down for the count, _thank the spirits_ ) Asami led Korra back into the yard. Korra remembered her and Mako's plan, now that there were no kids around, maybe she could try again.

They sat together on the hammock, Asami's feet in Korra's lap and ate grapes Asami had placed in the freezer (they lost half trying to throw them into each other's mouths) and were mostly silent, until Korra's phone buzzed.

 _BigMak: 9:15p.m: I'm out!_

 _BigMak: 9:16p.m: Wanna meet up? Are you alone?_

Korra laughed. (Why the fuck did he have to say it like that?)

"Ooh, who's "BigMak"?" Asami teased. "Your new boyfriend?"

"No, my old one, Mako," Korra laughed. "He spent like twenty minutes the other day trying to decide what he wanted to be in the phone. There was Detective, Mak Daddy, Officer Mako, M-AK470…its not like he even sees it!"

"Can I be Mak Daddy?" Asami asked, laughing.

"No. No one can be that. I hate Daddy jokes."

"What about Mommy jokes?"

"Hate those too."

"Did you change mine? Am I still your cherry pie?" Asami asked peering over.

"No! Plus, someone else is eating that pie, it's not even accurate," Korra teased. "You can be Uncle Sam."

"No! Even Mak Daddy is better than that! Gimme that," Asami took the phone from Korra, and added her own name, and gave it back to Korra.

"Miss Sato? That's it?" Korra laughed.

"It was between that and 'Dat Ass-ami'. It's supposed to be what you'd want that person to call you in bed," Asami winked.

"That's a thing? What am I in your phones?"

"Korndog," Asami replied nonchalantly.

"That's terrible, let me change it!" Korra tickled underneath Asami's feet until she handed her phone over.

Korra hesitated for a moment. "This is hard."

"Not everyone has wit like me and Mako," Asami answered.

"Please! Everyone has more wit than Mako. At least I do, anyway." She thought for another second before typing, and handed the phone back.

"Southern Stallion," Asami said slowly. "Wow Kor, I didn't know you had it in you!"

"I mean people call me that in bed, that's the rule, right?" Korra replied smugly. (She could play this game).

"Oh, do they?" Asami asked slyly, moving her foot up and down Korra's thigh while she slowly bit a grape in half.

 _(Abort, abort, abort, she's going to win, you're only good with the short game, abort!) (Okay, wait. What would you say if you were doing this for Mako, think!)_

"About half of them. The other half couldn't make words," Korra teased. (Danger, danger, danger!) "But I'm sure they would have said something similar."

"Well, well, well, we'll just have to find out, won't we?" Asami seemed surprised Korra had actually successfully reciprocated, moving her legs slowly around Korra's lap. "The kids _are_ asleep." (This was her game. She wouldn't lose.)

Korra's heart was going to beat out of her chest. She was going to die right here, right now. (Is this what Mako feels like all the time? This is terrible.)

"You don't have to worry about waking them up," Korra whispered. "I have a feeling you're part of the second group," knowing Asami hated anything anyone assumed to know about her, especially when it came to her preferences. She assumed that was true for bedtime activities as well.

"A feeling? I guess I'm just going to have to prove you wrong. Isn't that right, my Southern Stallion," Asami crooned, having moved entirely until she was sitting in Korra's lap again, her hands idly around her neck.

Korra really was about to explode. She really couldn't play this game, especially when the ever-present thought of wanting to actually kiss Asami was dominating her thoughts, and right now she was so close. Her weight was pressing down on her legs, her nose was in her hair, her voice was turning hoarse (She was going to lose, and she hated losing).

"I guess-"

She was interrupted by her phone ringing, which snapped her out of her kissing Asami thoughts, and unlike last time, she did not make it gracefully out of the hammock. She flew backwards, taking Asami, with her. After catching her breath ("Damn, Asami, how much do you weigh, you just knocked the wind out of me!" "How are you so jumpy, this is how you break _all_ your phones!") she answered the call, which was miraculously still ringing.

"Mako, I swear-"

"It's your mother, dear," Senna answered. (Korra's hand flew to her forehead) "I'm out front. Is Mako bothering you though, we can have your father-"

"No, no mom," (cue Asami's boisterous laughter) "I'm fine. We'll be out in a second."

Asami was still on the ground, laughing at Korra's expense. Korra rolled over and began to tickle her.

"Stop! Stop!"

"Are you going to stop laughing at me!"

"I'm laughing _with_ you!"

"Do you see me laughing?"

"Yes," Asami pouted, looking up at her. Korra couldn't win against that.

"Fine. Come help me get the boys, Mom's outside."

Once they'd gotten the babies in the car, (slowly, quietly, stop laughing Asami, I'm going to kill you) Korra waved goodbye to her friend who was standing in the doorway, before slicing her thumb across her neck, and pointing at her.

Asami just smiled and blew her a kiss.


	6. The Boys of Summer

Hello! I think I'm finally getting the hang of posting on this site! Here is Chapter 6, hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _Miss Sato: 10:15a.m: I need to tell you something important._

 _Miss Sato: 10:15a.m: Don't be alarmed._

 _Miss Sato: 10:16a.m: It's just that I don't think I can tell anyone else._

 _Korra: 10:20a.m: …what is it?_

 _Miss Sato: 10:21a.m: Korra…_

 _Korra: 10:21a.m: …what!_

 _Miss Sato: 10:21a.m: I look unbelievable in my underwear today._

 _Korra: 10:22a.m: …_

 _Korra: 10:22a.m: I am 800% sure you do_

 _Korra: 10:22a.m: I am also 800% sure you look unbelievable without your underwear_

 _Miss Sato: 10:23a.m: Hahaha touché, K._

 _Miss Sato: 10:23a.m: Also, true._

 _Korra: 10:24a.m: maybe you'd like to show me sometime?_

 _Miss Sato: 10:25a.m: If you want, maybe next time I see Iroh you could join us…?_

 _Korra: 10:25a.m: I wouldn't want to steal his thunder_

 _Miss Sato: 10:26a.m: I wouldn't mind if you did…_

 _Korra: 10:27a.m: I'm sure he wouldn't either. fire and ice, baby_

 _Miss Sato: 10:28a.m: I would love to be caught in the middle of that._

 _Korra: 10:28a.m: ;)_

 _Miss Sato: 10:29a.m: Meeting us at the beach later? Bolin insists._

 _Korra: 10:30a.m: I'll be there as soon as fucking Hasook shows up!_

They had gone back and forth like this for a weeks. Ever since Korra had gotten rid of her scardeypants and traded them in for some well-fitted big girl pants, she and Asami had not stopped. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, but she also found it was also easier to brush off any mention of Iroh with a certain level of tasteful vulgarity. (It seems as if this is how Asami had expected her to deal with him from the beginning.) She had not yet ventured back to Asami's house alone however, since Asami had the clear advantage on the home field and she had not yet come up with a decent enough defensive strategy.

She had also given a lot of thought to her conversations with Mako. They had spent nearly all of his days off together (he worked four on, four off) and even Bolin had begun to think it was strange that they hadn't bitten each other's heads off as yet. This was because clearly Mako's lead was leading somewhere (where, she wasn't sure yet, but she felt it was somewhere good), and he had enlightened her to the fact that the girl from the phone store had been chatting him up regularly! and she took endless joy in helping him woo her though text.

As a result, she couldn't help but think of how they had changed since their failed relationship. She had barged right up to him, with no preface or concern, and said they should be together, even kissed him, without as much a second thought as to what was going on in his life. If she could go back in time and slap herself, she would. How did she ever think something like that would have worked out? They were all "I want" and "I think" and "I don't care's" rather than "what do you think" or "let us take a second" or anything involving the two of them making a decision together! He had pointed out (rather bluntly) they had dated because it felt and looked good, not because they cared very deeply for what the other desired at the time.

Asami, however, was very clearly not like this.

The fact that she hadn't just gone up to Asami and taken her by sheer force of will was already a testament to the fact that their relationship was different than any of the others Korra had had. Even when they were younger, Korra always found herself being far more tender with Asami, a stark contrast to how she was normally with the boys- all rough edges and wrestling matches- which went on to this day. Even with Kuvira they had argued and fought and pushed, which eventually led to sex (not unlike her wrestling matches), with extremely little concern with what was going on otherwise.

She didn't know if Asami noticed she was the subject of such special treatment, but the more Korra thought about it, the clearer it became that she had loved Asami way before she had decided she was in love with her, and this at least, was something that would never change. Whatever other hesitations she might have had, she could at least find comfort in the fact that this was something she valued greatly, a comfort she could not have afforded with the others (and what gave her a level of patience unprecedented in her lifetime).

She managed to shuffle around the pool once more with the towel lost in her thoughts before Hasook eventually showed up, flustered and apologizing (and as a tribute to Asami, she did not punch him in the face) and bounded off to her car to meet her friends at the beach. Mako had been swamped at work the past three days and she hadn't had the opportunity to update him on the "case," and she could admit that she was at least a little excited to see him (which was new) (and maybe for the possibility that Asami was in her little red bathing suit.)

* * *

As she exited the boardwalk, Korra found Mako toweling off next to what she guessed were his and Bolin's surfboards sticking out of the sand. He hadn't seen her yet, and she didn't see the others nearby, so she silently sprinted up to him and jumped up onto his back, bear hugging his shoulders. In his panicked surprise, he ended up falling over face down in the sand from her weight, with Korra landing on top of him. She was too excited to get off, so she lifted his head by his hair and said hello.

"How's the best detective that ever lived doing?"

He tried to laugh with Korra's weight on top of him, but ended up just wheezing. "I'm doing great," he managed "how was your shift?"

"No one drowned, so I'd say it was a good day. Though, my old man friend didn't show up, which always worries me, cause it's definitely plausible he died."

"Morbid much?"

"Just telling you what I think about."

"I'm glad we're sharing."

"While we're at it I guess I should tell you I've decided to give you the benefit of the doubt a little more when it comes to romantic advice!"

He wheezed again. "I told you, I used to be way more suave before I met you! The MakAttack is back!"

"I wouldn't exactly say that," Korra said, looking around. "Where are Asami and Bo?"

"They went to get snacks, Bolin got hungry. They should be back soon, though."

"Then I guess I can tell you now then that Asami basically invited me to a threesome with her and her sex friend."

" _What did you say?_ " Mako yelled, pushing Korra slightly off of him so he could get a good look at Korra's face. (This was serious police business now.)

"I just brushed it off _you pervert_ ," she told him, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow. "Like I want to be anywhere near that, let alone in the middle of it."

"I mean if it gets you through the door…" he mused.

"At the cost of my dignity and sanity."

"Yeah, but, I dunno, it might just be a good social experiment …" Mako smiled, seeming to contemplate it with with the sand.

"Stop it!" Korra barked, punching him in the shoulder. "That is never happening, stop thinking about it."

"Alright, alright," he put his hands up, submitting. "But remember what I said about a good lead."

"Sure, fine. I got it. I just, I've been thinking. Do you think all this might be a little unfair?"

"Unfair how?"

"I guess well, me hesitating before wasn't just cause of… _Iroh_ ," she whispered, as if saying his name would conjure him up out of nowhere (he was way too handsome to be a dark lord). "It was cause she's leaving and I guess, it could be not fair to her to drop this on her when she's getting ready to go?"

Mako seemed to consider this for a moment. "I don't know," he said finally. "But say this game is an indicator that she's interested, it must mean she's okay with it, right?"

"That's true," she pouted, considering.

"Hey, leave the _Iroh_ stuff to me," he mocked her whisper. "You just go with the flow, if it's working. I honestly don't think she'd fault you for it."

"Go with the flow? This coming from the no nonsense by-the-book Officer Mako?" Korra jeered.

"Hey, maybe all that water tribe stuff is finally rubbing off on me," he laughed.

A cough interrupted their conversation, causing Korra and Mako to jump up from their tangled position, and knock over the boards they had been laying behind.

"Are we interrupting something?"

"Hey 'Sami," Korra managed, grinning, hoping she hadn't heard any part of her and Mako's conversation. "Hey Bo. Mako and I were just bonding," she laughed (she really needed to stop being so jumpy, it was giving her away!).

"Yeah," he added. "Cause I obviously don't see you enough these days," he added sarcastically.

She punched him in the arm ( _Shutup_!) before looking up at Bolin. "I heard you guys were bringing snacks!"

Bolin cut in, nodding to all the items in his hands. "Yup! Hot dogs, cheese fries, funnel cake, and a pizza!"

"Any of that for us?" Mako joked.

"Nope," Asami smiled, eyes flitting between the still flustered Korra and Mako. "But uh, these are," she said, placing down her own pile. "That's why we both had to go."

"Yes! You're the best Asami!" Korra reached for the fries Asami had brought, and pulled her friend in for a hug.

"Seriously," Mako added. "Or we would have starved."

"You look like you were doing fine." She gave Korra one last inquisitive look, before moving out of Korra's arms and taking up her own piece of pizza.

Korra only questioned Asami's gaze for a second before her attention moved to Bolin, who was eating horrifically fast.

"Do you actually chew your food, Bolin?" she asked.

"Shometimes," he answered swallowing a mouthful of hotdog. "If all else fails, I'll start doing those hotdog eating contests they have on the boardwalk! Money and free food!"

"I'll join you," Korra told him, taking her place next to Asami, (who was wearing her red bathing suit and looking great in it) and taking up the next hot dog before Bolin got to it. Asami's previous uneasiness seemed to wash away as they ate, feeding each other the occasional fry, their bare knees slightly brushing.

"What happened to the incredible underwear," she whispered in a moment Bolin and Mako were preoccupied with fighting over the last piece of funnel cake.

Asami laughed gently, surprised at Korra's audacity but attempting to keep the boys unaware. "I had to trade them in for something I didn't mind getting wet," she whispered back.

"I'd say you traded up," Korra winked, before reaching across Asami with her mouth to steal her last bite of hot dog.

"That's because you didn't see me this morning," Asami insisted, pulling her hand away. "I was gonna eat that, you know."

"You snooze you lose," Korra smiled, munching (and Asami thought it was annoying how adorable she found Korra talking with her mouth full).

Since Korra didn't have her board, Bolin called that the two of them would have first round back out on the waves with the two they did have, since naturally, they finished eating first.

"Please don't go doing crazy flips and puke all over the place," Korra warned. "Or on me."

"Yeah, you just ate basically an entire food cart," Asami added. "Don't you want to wait a few minutes?"

"I appreciate the thought guys, but I will gladly throw up if it means catching a great wave," Bolin told them, grabbing his board out of the sand. "Come on Korra, I wanna show you the tricks I've been practicing!"

He pulled her up and out from against Asami's side, shoving Mako's old board into her hands. Since her parents had forbid her from competing in any competitions for the next year (lest she break something in a wipe-out, and loose her swim scholarship) Korra had been reduced to helping Bolin come up with new moves for his routines and watching from the sidelines as he competed in the local surf tournaments. It was okay, she supposed, because at least she still got to go out every now and then, and not being in the water meant she got to sit next to Asami instead, who rarely ever went in. So she could take it as a win.

* * *

Bolin often thought he would have been an excellent member of the Dai-Li- without all the murder, corruption and betrayal, obviously. He was precise (sortof), kept secrets well (unless it was to tell Opal… or Mako…or Asami…or Korra), and operated under the radar (conspicuous isinconspicuous, Mako). His allegiances however, never faltered. They were always to his family; the one he had made in his childhood, and all the pieces that came with them. This loyalty served as his armor, and he wore it well. All of his actions, overt or covert, were usually, and not completely incorrectly, always attributed as his desire to maintain the togetherness of those he held dear.

Which is why he hated when Mako kept secrets from him.

Even though his breakup with Korra had ended up (mostly) amicable, he was sure that they would never be particularly friendly with each other, even though they had proved their group could survive even the most volatile of breakups. There had even been times when they were together that he feared it would tear them apart, and take Bolin and Asami with them. They'd argued constantly, and intensely, and usually ended with them split in two; Mako complaining to Bolin, and Korra to Asami. But now, Mako and Korra were spending time together and they were almost closer than they had been before. Bolin found himself with Asami, at her office wondering how this had ever occurred.

And it was weird.

"How was your hang with Mako the other day?" Bolin asked as he paddled out, floating a little as they moved over the smaller swells, waiting on a good one. He had asked Mako about it that day, even Grandma Yin if she'd heard anything unusual, but Mako was as tight lipped as ever, telling him not to worry about it.

"It was fine," Korra said. "Sorry I couldn't stay too long, I had the early shift the next day."

"Don't worry about it," Bolin said. He decided to try another route, since obviously he wasn't going to get any direct information. "Is Mako okay? I know he doesn't like to tell me when something's going on because he still thinks of me as a little kid, but I can handle it, you know. Wait. Is Grandma Yin dying? You'd tell me if she was dying, right Korra?!"

"No! Nothing's wrong Bo, and no, she's not _dying_ , I promise," Korra panicked. "We're just helping each other with something…a project…for someone…" she finished nervously, glad when they had to stop conversing to paddle out a bit further, which gave her a moment to collect herself.

"A project?" Bolin asked. "Like, a present? Ooh! Is it my birthday present?!" (It wasn't hard to see how Mako still thought of him as a little kid.)

"You know Mako is terrible with gifts," she chuckled, hoping her quick recovery would be convincing. She hadn't thought that her extra time with Mako would arise such suspicion. It only hit her now that it could seem to the other two that she was ignoring them in favor of Mako. "And you are turning eighteen! Do you have anything you want to do planned?"

"I mean, I was thinking of going to see Opal, we haven't figured it out yet. Asami said we should have a party though! Maybe at a bar?

"That's not a bad idea," she considered. Except now she would have to come up with a good present for Bolin to back up her cover story. "I've been meaning to ask, how is work with Asami? You went with her a few times last week, right?"

Now it was Bolin's turn to be twitchy.

"Uh, yeah! It's been great, really! She um. Showed me a few of the production facilities and her dad even set me up with the accounting team but I think I just like being Asami's personal assistant the best, we get to talk a lot and have lunch, but I think she doesn't get a lot done with me around and yeah -wait I'll take this one!"

Their conversation was interrupted again as Bolin paddled out to catch a swell that was coming up behind them. She had to admit, he was getting better with each season, and he executed some of the crazy cutbacks she'd designed for him better than she probably could. She hoped the excitement of landing the moves would distract him from their previous conversation, though, since she had never been a good liar, she always knew when Bolin was lying as well. Her and Mako would probably have to find a new way to conduct their undercover investigations…and maybe include Bolin in their next strike. He had been spending just as much time with Asami as she had been with Mako…

As Bolin paddled back towards her, she high fived him.

"You know, I think if you hadn't just eaten your weight in fried foods you could have gotten a few more inches on the air," she critiqued.

"I'm a growing boy!" he whined. "But okay, fine, I'll take it easy next time." Conveniently, Bolin "forgot" her mention of Asami, and moved back to all the possible party ideas he'd come up with for his birthday...

* * *

After Korra and Bolin had bounded off into the sea, Mako had not so subtly set his towel down next to Asami's (like weirdly close to hers) and laid across from her, just as she had cleaned up the mess Korra and Bolin had left, and set herself up to read.

"Can I help you?" she laughed, (Mako really was being strange these days…)

"Whatcha readin'?" he asked, fixing his gaze on her (she didn't know it was his police interrogation stare, he'd promised Korra he'd take a crack at it at least once this week, and they were rarely ever alone like this).

"It's called _The Quantum and the Lotus_ ," she told him, showing him the book. "Its about how the interpretation of reality offered by quantum physics conforms in a lot of ways to the Buddhist conception of reality," she explained further. "Obviously they're different at their core, but it's really quite interesting," she finished.

"Wow. Don't people usually read like, terrible romance novels at the beach?" Mako asked laughing. "Since I can only annoy you with questions on that particular topic, I'm going to start over," he said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," she laughed. "Though my friends don't like talking about the books I'm reading," she crossed her arms, and pretended to look hurt.

"I'm sure some of them would love to," Mako stressed, "Like the ones with blue eyes and lotus tattoos?" he suggested, pointing his thumb over his shoulder to where Korra and Bolin were paddling in the water. "My interests are very… singular," Mako added. (Yes, Jinora had made him read Fifty Shades of Grey.) "At least for beach reading."

"Singular? If I didn't know any better I would think you were trying to seduce me, Mr. Grey," Asami played along smiling. "Enlighten me." (Jinora had made her read it too.)

"Well, recently, trying to learn a few more detective psych moves from Beifong," he started, "and well, there _is_ this girl…" ( _Oops, did I really say that?_ )

" _Really?! A girl?!_ Spill it!" Asami's book was now thrown to the side. They had been trying to get Mako to date someone else forever, since well, since Korra!

"Well, I mean, I don't want to jinx it! We've been talking a lot lately and I think it might work out. I mean…(Well fuck, how was he going to explain that Korra had been helping him with the phone store girl without mentioning what he'd _really_ been talking to Korra about all this time? He couldn't be fucking up the mission already! Except _he's a terrible liar!_ ) "Especially with Korra being so great and all, you know uh, she's been a lot more open these days and we get along better so it just worked out really well with you know, figuring out what to say!" he rambled quickly.

" _Korra_?" Asami seemed stunned.

"Yeah! I mean, I guess Korra knows, but seriously, she's beautiful, she likes my jokes which is…different. And we never argue. I know I've changed since I dated Korra, but I didn't realize how much I'd grown until now!"

Her previous enthusiasm for who Mako was dating was slowly dying. "Wow, Mako, I uhm… does Bolin know?'

"No way! I don't want to tell him anything until I know for sure. Maybe we'll go on a couple more dates and stuff, see how it goes."

" _She agreed to go on a date_?" Asami asked warily. "I just, I thought, well…that she wouldn't."

"Contrary to popular belief, I can hold conversation with beautiful women, Asami."

She gave him a small laugh, "I guess you're right."

"And she's super into me, we spent like, three of the last couple of nights just talking on the phone all night," he went on, not realizing his mistake.

"That's great, Mako," she said. Her smile was less than convincing.

Mako noticed her discomfort however but was glad for an opportunity to change the topic. "Thanks! Enough about me though, how about you? How's Iroh?" (And somewhere in the distance, Korra wiped out and belly flopped into the ocean at the mention of his name.)

"Were fine, we just, you know, do the same thing we always have been," she said slowly. "I guess maybe I should try and take a chapter on of your book and make a change."

"A change like what?" Mako asked.

"I'm not sure," she said. "But it seems if you're moving up in the world romantically maybe that's the signal that I should too."

Mako was not sure where to go from here. He could take this either way. Either she wanted to go further with her relationship with Iroh or she wanted to end it, since they were just hookup buddies. He was not sure he wanted to know which it was (for Korra's sake, they'd been doing so well!) but Asami was never so hesitant to tell them about her time with Iroh, so he couldn't help but pry.

"Are you sure he's not too douche-tastic for a relationship?" he asked.

"And when was the last time you guys talked?" she sassed, "Maybe he's not so douche-tastic anymore."

"The other day! We saw him at the pool." (Have I said too much again?)

"The pool? Meaning, with Korra?"

"Yeah, he showed up there the other day while she was working the afternoon shift. They seem to get along well," he added sarcastically.

"She didn't tell me she saw him," she said confused as to why her friend would keep something like that from her. "What the heck do you think they talked about?"

"I have no idea," he lied quickly. "I guess you haven't seen him in a while either, then?"

"Contrary to popular belief, we're not constantly banging," she told him, rolling her eyes. "We only see each other every once in a while, you know. When the need arises."

Mako laughed. "I get you." He decided to drop the subject for now seeing as he didn't want to push too far, and Asami seemed to be getting uncomfortable. It seemed the information he had would probably be enough to hold Korra over for at least a little while. It was perfect timing too, as Korra and Bolin came padding back up the beach, Bolin holding both the boards and Korra holding her middle.

"What happened to you two? Done so quickly?" Mako asked.

"Korra did this crazy belly flop out of nowhere! Must have cut the wrong way. But it definitely isn't me that's going to be throwing up today!"

"Shutup, Bo," Korra groaned, flopping down next to Mako and Asami and curling up. "Someone rub my belly."

* * *

 **Group Text**

 _Korra: 10:04p.m: worst news of the century guys_

 _Asami: 10:06p.m: What is it? Are you okay?_

 _Bolin: 10:10p.m: I hate bad news!_

 _Mako: 10:12p.m: is it really bad or just kind of bad?_

 _Mako: 10:12p.m: is it herpes?_

 _Korra: 10:15p.m: i'm okay, no worries_

 _Korra: 10:15p.m: no one has herpes you dick. but it's still really bad!_

 _Asami: 10:18p.m: SPIT IT OUT ALREADY SO I STOP FREAKING OUT_

 _Korra: 10:20p.m: I am going on a two week "vacation" with my parents to the south…dad didn't know if he could get the time off til today and now it's official_

 _Bolin: 10:21p.m: I HATE THIS NEWS_

 _Mako: 10:22p.m: :(  
_

 _Mako: 10:22p.m: Two whole weeks!?  
_

 _Bolin: 10:22p.m: HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US_

 _Asami: 10:23p.m: Korra! No!_

 _Mako: 10:23p.m: :( :(_

 _Asami: 10:23p.m: When do you leave? :c_

 _Korra: 10:24p.m: next week thursday :x I know, it's the worst!_

 _Mako 10:24p.m: :( :( :(_

 _Bolin: 10:25p.m: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

 _Asami: 10:25p.m: NO!_

 _Bolin: 10:25p.m: NOooo_

 _Bolin: 10:25p.m: **sobbing face**_

 _Bolin: 10:26p.m: wait, that's my birthday! HOW COULD YOU!_

 _Korra: 10:26p.m: i knooowww bo, i told you it was terrible!_

 _Asami: 10:28p.m: Bye guys, I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now._

 _Mako: 10:30pm: Wait, really?_

 _Bolin: 10:31p.m: me too._

 _Bolin: 10:31p.m: obviously you don't process grief the same way we do, mako_

 _Korra: 10:32p.m: can I come too :C_

 _Bolin: 10:33p.m: i'm pretty sure I feel like the side of the titanic right now_

 _Korra: 10:34p.m: am I the iceberg?:(_

 _Bolin: 10:35p.m: yes. you and your cold hard southern ice heart have shredded me_

 _Asami: 10:36p.m: I have never seen this movie._

 _Mako: 10:36pm: WHAT_

 _Mako: 10:36pm: ARE YOU FOR REAL_

 _Bolin: 10:37p.m:WHAT_

 _Korra: 10:37p.m: Asami, shut up how are we friends are you serious?!_

 _Korra: 10:38p.m: also, mako… what?_

 _Mako: 10:40pm: Grandma Yin watches it literally every time it's on TV… it grew on me okay?_

 _Bolin: 10:41p.m: he means the boobs grew on him._

 _Korra: 10:42p.m: clear your schedule tomorrow Asami, we are watching it. NQA_

 _Asami: 10:43p.m: Am I going to hate it? There must be a reason I haven't seen it._

 _Korra: 10:43p.m: do you hate love? or the sea?_

 _Asami: 10:44p.m: No…_

 _Korra: 10:44p.m: then you won't hate it._


	7. Dark Blue

Unfortunately for Korra, she did not have a monopoly on Asami's schedule the next day. She had a previous engagement with Iroh, which, she guessed, would be pretty lame of her to cancel at the last minute to watch a ten-year-old movie (no matter it's _the best ten year old movie and greatest love story of all time_ , but Asami didn't know that yet), so she settled for the next night, after Asami had caught up on all her work.

Bolin had been excited at the idea of a movie night too, but like the good wingman he was turning out to be, Mako had lured him off the trail by offering to take his brother shopping for an outfit to wear to his not yet determined birthday party, so she and Asami could spend some time alone. She almost felt bad that she absolutely did not want them to come, because if there was any one memory her Mako and Bolin all held dear, it was the time when they were eight (and Bolin seven) and they had found the _Titanic_ VHS in Grandma Yin's room (so they sat all squished together in a giant beanbag in the living room- entranced at the drama unfolding before them and understanding none of it- the only thing breaking their silence being the panic that ensued when they thought it was over at the best part and Mako was fumbling to get out of the beanbag to put the _second_ VHS in).

She had set up the living room like she used to when they were younger too (with all the cushions from their giant wrap around couch built into a large cushy igloo formation with a giant opening facing the television) partially because Asami had not been in their lives around the time of the beanbag, (and maybe Asami would find it cute?) and if you were going to watch _Titanic_ properly, you had to pretend you were eight or it wouldn't be _nearly_ as scandalous. She covered it with a big white sheet and hung a scraggly string of white lights around it so they would be able to see Asami's reactions with all the other lights off, and sat inside, waiting.

Asami would usually be inundating her with all the terrible things she'd done with Iroh by now, but she had been surprisingly quiet today. Even her announcement that she would not be able to join Korra until later was not met with any hilarious anecdote, but rather just a simple I'll see you tomorrow.

Mako had told her about the conversation he'd had with Asami at the beach, and that was probably the only reason she could be excited or even _look_ at Asami so soon after she had been getting in on with Iroh. It had seemed clear to him that Asami didn't love Iroh like Korra had previously thought and that was good, right? Now she just had to fight for her love, and not wrestle it out of someone else's hands first.

She perked up (like a dog who's owner had come home/ which is exactly what Naga did) when she heard a car door close outside, and ran up to the front door and pressed her face into the glass, Naga close behind. By the time Asami had looked up to ring the bell, she was met by blue eyes and a wide smile radiating excitement, and pulled inside.

"Someone's excited," Asami chuckled, kicking off her shoes as she was dragged through the house.

"You have a lot of history to catch up on, Asami," Korra said seriously. "This is the story of the most tragic Fire Nation ship to never reach the Northern Water Tribe."

"Everyone knows that," Asami said rolling her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile at Korra's enthusiasm.

"Yeah, but not everyone knows that behind the tragedy was _an even more tragic_ made-up love story!"

Asami winced. "I thought you asked me if I liked love, you didn't mention anything about it being _tragic_!"

"How could it be the best love story ever without being a little tragic, 'Sami?"

"I don't know if I'm up for watching tragic love stories today, Korra…" Asami shifted, before being pulled into the living room by Korra.

"Oh, come on, grab a seat and don't worry about it!"

Asami stopped short of Korra's creation, eyeing it suspiciously, trying to hide her smile. "You made us an igloo fort?"

"Yeah! You're not the only great engineer around, you know," Korra smiled, admiring her work. "Go ahead, test it out!"

Asami nodded seriously, and began walking slowly around the cushioned fort, her hand on her chin, surveying. "Ten out of ten for creativity," she critiqued, "the lights are a nice touch."

"I try. Go on," Korra urged.

Asami poked at the cushions and pillows. "Eight out of ten for comfort," she continued. "But I'm a little worried about the structural integrity. Where are the supports?"

Korra laughed and jumped inside, bouncing around. To Asami's surprise, the cushions at the top didn't fall over. "I used pillows between the layers of cushions as insulation. It should survive an earthquake, or in this case, a ship sinking."

"You learn well," Asami laughed before gracefully climbing in herself and laying back against the pillows next to her beaming friend and looking up at the soft lights. "Fine," she relented. "Ten out of ten on structure!"

"Yes!" Korra pumped her fist in the air. "You just let me know when there's an opening at Future Industries for an Igloo Engineer, I'll apply."

"You'll be the first to know," Asami chuckled. "Even though you were minus two points in comfort."

"You were forgetting the most comfy pillow," Korra reminded. "Me!"

Asami rolled her eyes again. "We'll see about that."

"We will. Now be quiet, I'm about to blow your mind."

* * *

Korra had to admit the beginning of the movie was slow (and she was pretty impressed the younger versions of herself, Mako, and Bolin and managed it), which is probably why Asami was inundating her with hushed questions.

"Why do they have such weird names?" ( _I dunno 'Sami must be a movie biz thing_.)

"What kind of paper doesn't disintegrate after eighty years in the ocean?" ( _Really good paper?_ )

"Is the value of this diamond really more than the cost of all these ships and equipment and fuel? ( _I guess to a diamond hunter, yeah._ )

"Do you know how much that stuff costs, Kor?" ( _No, 'Sami, how much?_ )

"You think I could win a ticket to the Northern Water Tribe by playing poker?" ( _Absolutely_.)

"Do they really think this ship can't sink?" ( _Probably, they didn't put enough lifeboats on it._ )

"There aren't enough lifeboats on it?" ( _No, there's like sixteen_.)

"So how do they all get off when it sinks?" ( _They don't_.)

"What do you mean, they don't'?" ( _I thought you said you knew this story, that's why it's sad!_ )

"I didn't know that! How is this a love story!? ( _You'll see 'Sami._ )

It seemed Asami's previous hesitation to watching something tragic had reared again, but by the time Jack (a handsome kid with bright blue eyes from the Northern Water Tribe) and Rose (a beautiful, upper class Fire Nation girl) were meeting for the first time at the ship's bow, she was quietly nuzzled into Korra's side, all of her questioning forgotten, seemingly waiting for tragedy to strike at any minute-or for Rose to jump off the ship ( _you get plenty of warning when it happens, 'Sami, I promise_ ).

Korra had to admit she was enjoying herself, (and she hadn't considered that Asami might like the movie just because of the engineering hubris lesson it imbued) since her friend had already began to cuddle without knowing there were still _two whole hours_ left in the film. She sank deeper into the cushions of the igloo fort, not really watching anymore (since she'd seen it like a thousand times- she and Grandma Yin both watched it every time it was on TV), but enjoying the feel of Asami's legs curled up over hers, her head on Korra's shoulder and her hand grasping Korra's shirtsleeve, the soft light from the string accentuating her furrowed features. She stayed perfectly still, not wanting to rouse Asami from her trance, and trying to memorize how their bodies felt together, until Rose appeared on the deck again.

 _Hello, Jack_ (cue the wind blowing through her hair).

 _I changed my mind_ (cue his charming shy smile).

She heard Asami whimper, and chuckled to herself before taking her arm out from under Asami's grip, and wrapping it around her shoulders. Asami's eyes didn't move from the screen as they flew, (she could be a real sap sometimes) and she rearranged herself against Korra, sinking into her new pillow (ten out of ten, fo' shoooooooo').

The only time Asami was roused was during the car sex scene, and one of their hands swiped through the condensation in the car window, insinuating something hot and heavy was going on inside. She pushed herself up off Korra's chest and looked her right in the eyes.

" _This_ is where that's from?!" she whispered.

"What do you mean? I guess so…?" Korra replied chuckling.

She didn't get to say much more as Asami shook her head and laid it back on Korra's shoulder, in a silent sign of _shutupnowimwatching_.

She felt Asami's first tears wet her shirt when Jack convinced Rose to get in the lifeboat, and resigned to watching her be lowered away. It only got worse from there. Asami's eyes seemed to be taking on as much water as the ship, and by the time the ocean was flooding over the deck Korra's shirt was soaked. She felt Asami occasionally sniffle and rub her face on her shoulder to clear her eyes, but she gave no indication that she had any intention other than seeing the tragedy through. Korra ran her hand up and down Asami's arm in an attempt to soothe her, but the motion only seemed to make it worse. By the time Rose had let Jack go in the cold waters she was fully crying, and as she ascended the sunken ships' stairs at the end to find Jack at the top, Asami was sobbing. The ending music only seemed to make her sob harder, since it kept the theme of sadness and loss going. Her shoulders were shaking into Korra's chest and she was gasping for breath, unable to catch it.

"'Sami, are you-"

She was interrupted by one of her friend's loud hiccups as she finally sat up. Her eyes were a bright red and her eye makeup was almost fully erased as she rubbed furiously at the tears still streaming out of her eyes, her ragged cries still strong. She eventually noticed Korra's panicked look and must have become self-conscious, as she quickly exited the fort and out of the living room. Korra let out a nervous laugh and called her friends name as she scrambled out herself, stopping to pause the sad music before following the sound of frantic sobs outside.

She found Asami sitting outside on her the steps of her deck (it seemed she couldn't get much farther with all the tears blurring her vision) sobbing into her hands.

"Asami…" Korra was trying not to smile at how badly Asami was taking the ending to the movie and gave a serious attempt to comfort her, sitting down across from her and rubbing her back.

"That" Asami sniffed, her frantic gasps for air choking the rest of her sentence. "That was (gasp) so (gaspgasp) sad!" she managed, wiping away more tears. "Why (gasp) why would you (sniff) make me (sob)"

"Asami, it's okay," Korra laughed, not being able to contain her amusement/ horror/ panic at Asami's reaction. "It's just a movie," she cooed, pulling Asami closer.

"It's not (sob) _it's not funny_!" Asami hiccupped, pushing Korra away, her voice nasally from her nose getting blocked up, unable to control the volume of her voice.

"It's not, I'm sorry," Korra soothed, attempting to hide her smile. "I'm sorry I made you watch it."

"You're not!" Asami sniffled again, getting up to pace in at the bottom of the steps. She blinked up at the sky and began to fan the cool night air at her face, in any attempt to get the tears to stop.

"I am!" Korra promised. "Wait here."

She ran inside and soaked a hand towel with cold water before returning outside, where it seemed Asami was finally catching her breath. She pulled Asami down to sit in the grass between her legs, still hiccupping, before pushing the cool towel into her face and wiping away all the salt and boogers and leftover makeup, as if Asami was a two year old that had just finished a tantrum. Asami's breaths became steadier as the cool water cleared her eyes, and she relaxed a little into Korra's leg behind her.

"I'm sorry," Korra soothed again, removing the towel.

"You're laughing at me," Asami said softly after one last sniffle.

Korra finally let herself smile fully. "I didn't expect you to take it so badly!"

"It's the saddest thing ( _hic_ ) I've ever seen!" Asami wailed, which seemed to bring back memories of the movie and reminded her eyes to keep crying.

"Hey!" Korra pulled her head back up and wiped away the tears that were falling again, before resting her back on the stair railing and pulling Asami's back up against her chest, holding her tightly. Asami only had a few more sobs left in her before finally turning to rest her side against Korra's front, and taking the towel from her hands. They sat silently for a while as Asami attempted to compose herself.

"Sorry," she mumbled finally, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"It's okay," Korra said, running her hands up and down Asami's arms. "You didn't know."

"You are the worst," she said, attempting to take a deep breath. It left her as a slight laugh. "Mako and Bolin _like_ that movie?"

"They _love_ it," Korra laughed. "I guess it's different when you watch it as an adult the first time."

"I hate you," Asami smiled, hiding her face in Korra's chest again.

"When was the last time you cried like that!" Korra teased.

"Shutup! It's been a while." Asami confessed. "When you said it was a love story, I wasn't expecting that! I thought they would at least end up together at the end."

"They do!"

"In death that's so lame I hate it, it doesn't fucking count."

"Well they're together for like a long weekend, that counts," Korra tried.

"I guess. Doesn't change the fact that he dies," Asami argued.

"He does, but she never lets go! She still loves him the whole time. I guess that's the love story. She makes all these promises with him, and even though he's not there, she keeps them. Does all the things she said she would do, anyway. _Her love is as deep as the ocean, 'Sami._ "

"Have you given this a lot of thought?" Asami teased, chuckling at Korra's intensity.

"Hey, I've probably seen that movie a thousand times, I've had plenty of time to think about it."

"Would you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Fall in love with someone you knew you were going to lose two days later?"

"They didn't know the ship was gonna sink," Korra pointed out.

"I know. But would you do it? Even if you knew?"

Korra paused, playing with a lock of Asami's hair as she considered it. The time didn't matter, right? If it was love, that was all she needed to know. Sure, it would suck later, and she might be left loving someone that was no longer there, but if there was one thing she was not, it was a chicken. She would never let the fear of getting hurt dictate her choices, would she?

"Absolutely," she decided. "If I loved someone, I'd want them to know, to show them- all that" she said softly.

Asami only nodded in acknowledgement of Korra's answer, deciding instead to focus intently on the towel in her hands, and running her fingers along the seams.

"Would you?" Korra asked.

"Would I?"

"Would you jump back on to a sinking ship for someone? Someone you knew you were going to lose anyway?"

"That is a far more loaded question than mine," Asami scoffed. "And they didn't know he was going to freeze to death."

"But would you?"

It was Asami's turn to be silent.

"I don't know," came her eventual whisper. "Of course I'd want to say yes. But…"

"But what?"

"But what difference would it make? They'd be gone and I'd still be alive, just in a different place."

"You could probably spend the rest of your life regretting not jumping though. And you wouldn't get to promise to never let go, which is the whole thing."

"Maybe I would want to let go. Maybe I wouldn't want to spend my whole life fulfilling promises to someone I lost, wondering what we would be doing even though we only spent two days together an eternity ago!"

Korra's hands went up in surrender. "Hey, woah, its just a hypothetical, "Sami."

"Sorry," Asami eased "I guess I'm still strung up from that wave of emotion."

"We can talk about something else," Korra offered.

"How about we not talk, since I am clearly not in a place for even hypothetical conversations?"

"Alright," Korra laughed, relaxing into the railing.

They both intuitively looked up at the night sky, which is what they would do when they were younger and Asami came to sleep over. Asami was never particularly talkative when she was younger, (maybe an effect of having been raised by a workaholic dad and not being able to talk about all the things she'd gone through, at least with anyone who knew what to say) and Korra usually did all the talking for them. She was always regaling Asami with some story of a fight she got into, or how she'd finally perfected a swim stroke, or something that reminded her of the South, or something stupid she and Bolin had done. Asami's smile and acknowledgement she'd listened was all she usually needed, and it was nice to have a friend that she didn't have to compete with for everything, from hockey pucks to fruit snacks.

Asami and brooding Mako's short relationship had likely been based on their shared preference for silence- which kept it short and dispassionate (that and being twelve). But later on, it seemed Asami would inherit some of Korra's boisterous nature, (probably from being around her and Bolin too long) to eventually became arguably, the most confident of the four of them- though Korra and Bolin's disregard for what people may have thought of them always kept them in large social circles. This was the Asami that Korra would eventually fall for- the one that had punched Tahno for making fun of Korra once, (even though Korra could have totally handled it herself) and still sat through all her swim meets, who took care of Bolin like the sister he didn't have, and who supported Mako through his career choices, all while managing her schoolwork and her father's Company (all while looking completely flawless). Anything good Korra had to say about herself, and any patience or grace she could manage, she could probably tell you she learned from Asami.

"I think it's those two," Asami finally broke the silence with her voice, rasping from a little too much crying.

"What is?"

"Sirius Minor," she clarified, pointing up at the sky. "It was near Orion, and those two seem pretty bright against the rest."

"Could be," Korra said, squinting. "I'm sure we'll find out one of these days."

"Maybe if you paid attention in school, we'd know."

"Look who's sassy now," Korra laughed, tickling Asami's sides.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

Another silence.

"I went out on a date with Iroh last night."

 _Like the side of the Titanic. Maybe Asami could understand it now. WHAT THE FUCK MAKO?_

"Yeah?" Korra replied thickly.

"Yeah."

"That's new."

"He'd been asking for a while, I only just agreed."

"How was it?"

"Great. He's great."

Korra took a deep breath, steeling herself, trying not to fidget too much with Asami lying against her. "That's great, I'm glad."

No response.

"Is that why I didn't get any hilarious sexcapade stories?" she asked.

"Something like that."

"Are you going out again?" Iroh's voice rang in her head, reminding her that even he thought his relationship with Asami hung on Korra's acceptance. Which she could freely give…or take away.

"He wanted to," Asami said, still looking up at the sky.

Korra swallowed. "Do you want to?"

"I don't know. I mean, it was nice."

"But?"

"I guess it's just different than what I'm used to," Asami began playing with the towel again.

"Meaning more talking?" Korra managed a chuckle.

"Yeah, you could say that."

Suddenly Korra wished they weren't alone, and she had Mako's support or Bolin's enthusiasm to back her up. She didn't think she sounded too enthused about her best friend getting a date with the hottest guy on the planet, but there was nothing much she could do about it now.

"You didn't even ask me what you should've worn!" Korra tried.

Asami laughed. "With your input I would have been wearing cargo shorts and a boa, I'm positive."

"Are you saying I'm not stylish?"

"No, I'm saying everything you own is blue. Matching isn't your strong suit."

"Blue matches with blue."

"And I own almost no blue."

"We're going to have to change that. Take one of my hoodies before you leave."

"Which one? The blue one or the blue one?" They laughed.

"Take both."

"Fine. Want to go back inside?"

"Sure. Want me to hide the DVD first though, so you don't see it and burst into tears?"

"I hate you."

"You don't."

"I don't. The opposite actually."


	8. Make Damn Sure

Short, but sweet. The next one is reeeealy long and I wanted to split this out of it.

* * *

"Evidence? Don't tell me about _evidence_ , Mako, it is _overwhelmingly_ not in my favor!"

"I told you exactly what she told me!"

"And I'm telling you exactly what she told _me_ , which is that she is _dating_ Iroh now. That seems to be the _opposite_ of what she told you!"

"Why would it have changed so quickly?"

"You tell me!"

"I don't know!"

Mako sunk into the couch in his room, exhausted from their yelling match. It had been going on for at least twenty minutes now, and they hadn't figured anything out. It was the first spat they'd had in a while. It almost felt…relieving.

"What _exactly_ did you tell her?" Korra sighed, rubbing her face and continuing her pacing. They really were like detectives now, going over the same one-sided facts of the same case, attempting to piece together a story. The only problem was, the story that was being revealed was the last one they wanted to be true.

"I told her about Beifong," he started dutifully, "about the girl at the store- how you helped me talk to her, that she agreed to a date. Then I asked about Iroh… then she said she wanted to make a romantic change. Everything she said up 'til then pointed to her _not_ wanting to be with him. She said she only called him for sex!"

"Well we _deduced_ wrong on that one, detective. I should probably just stop torturing myself at this point," Korra resigned, plopping down into the computer chair across from him.

"What? Don't be _ridiculous_ ," Mako scorned, crossing his arms.

"What's _ridiculous_ Mako? He's _perfect_."

"The Korra I know doesn't just fucking give up like that," he said angrily. "Especially for some pretty-boy. And _especially_ without even trying!"

"What exactly would be the point of me embarrassing myself in front her?" she asked, her voice rising again.

He scoffed. "Since when have you been afraid of something like that?"

"I'm not afraid of anything," she growled, crossing her arms defensively.

"Yes you are," Mako pointed out stiffly. "You're scared of how she makes you feel. You're afraid of telling her. You're afraid of losing her. You're afraid she'll go away and want to forget you!"

Korra clenched her jaw and her fists, using all her self-control to not throw them at Mako. (He was stupid. He was aggravating. He was _right._ )

"You don't have to tell me I'm right," he continued. "I know I am ( _and pompous_ , maybe I should fucking punch him…) I know because I know you. Because I felt that way about _you_. We've been through this Korra. I know she's different! I know she's your weakness!"

"All the more reason to forget about it," she grumbled through her teeth.

"We both know that's not the answer, Korra."

"So _what_?"

"So, stop telling me about all your stupid feelings and go tell _her_!" (He pointed in what might have been the general direction of Asami's house, but she didn't feel like figuring it out.)

"After everything we just went through, what part of that still sounds like a good idea?"

"None of it," he conceded. "But you and I aren't getting anywhere like this. You're right. The evidence isn't in our favor. But forget all that shit! The only way to move forward is to go vigilante."

"And if I end up regretting it? It's going to be you I _murder_ first! And Beifong won't need any other detectives to figure it out."

"You've always been the type to regret not doing something rather than regret something that's already been done! You'll live with it. You _won't_ live with it if you don't say anything. You have to know."

"I'm going away in three days, Mako."

"Even better. If it doesn't work out, you can run away to the Southern Water Tribe. You'll have plenty of space to mope there."

"That's not it. It's just-"

"That you're a chicken."

"I'm not a fucking chicken!" she insisted, stomping her foot.

"Then why are we still talking?"

"I'm going to kill you!"

"Because I'm right!"

They were interrupted by a tiny knock on the door.

"Who is it!" Mako yelled, maybe a little too harshly.

"It's me, your baby bro Bolin!" Bolin said nervously, opening Mako's door slowly and peering in. "Just making sure everything is okay in here, I heard yelling…"

"Everything's fine, Bolin," Mako promised exasperatedly.

"Yeah Bo, just a little disagreement," Korra chimed in.

"But we figured it out," Mako said, mostly to Korra.

She glared at him, but didn't say anything.

Bolin seemed to pick up on her discomfort. "Are you sure? You know I don't like it when you guys fight…"

"Really, it's fine, Bo," Korra sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Mako's just terrible at explaining police business." She knew not so deep down she would have to accept what Mako said as truth. She was going to have to say something. It might destroy them, but she would never go down without a fight. And she at least had confidence in that. "Come in, we were actually wondering what you wanted to do for your birthday, before we got sidetracked."

"Uh, yeah sure, just- can I make a call first? I'll be right back," he darted back outside and back to his room, leaving Korra and Mako alone again.

"So you'll do it?"

"Fuck- yes Mako, _if I get the right moment_ I'll do it."

"Moments can be made."

"Don't make me punch you."

"Will that make you stop moping?"

"Yes. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Oh, and could you at least try and act like you're not a nervous awkward wreck while you're waiting on your moment? She's still your friend, and only one of us should have to suffer through it."

She shook her head. "I really hate you, Mako. How have the tables turned like this? I'm the one that supposed to make fun of you!"

"It's only fair."

He came up to her and placed his hands heavily on her shoulders.

"What," she groaned.

"Remember that girl who stole her dad's car when she was fourteen to drive you to the hospital when you broke your collarbone?"

"…Yeah?"

"And remember the year you won the 200-fly at Nationals because that same girl designed you one-of-a-kind flippers to perfect your butterfly kick?"

"Yeah…"

"And remember the girl who wouldn't hurt a fly but punched Tahno in the face to defend your honor, knowing fully well you could have done it yourself?"

She smiled. "I won't ever forget _that_."

"That girl deserves to know you love her."

Korra sighed, her eyes watering. She considered his shoes for a while before blinking up at the ceiling and letting out a deep breath. "You're right."

"I know. Glad you could admit it."

They were interrupted again by a timid knock.

"Come in, Bo," they said together.

"You guys good?"

"We're good."

"So…birthday?" he chimed happily.

"Who'd you call?" Mako asked.

"Uhh…no one. Birthday related stuff…" Bolin grinned, tapping his fingers together.

Korra's eyebrow raised. "Have you decided on anything?"

"Oh, have I ever!"

Bolin explained that once he'd decided to make the most of Korra's ill-timed family vacation, he'd gone around town figuring out every fun thing they could do together before she left. In one of his many mass texts, he'd stumbled across the fact that Varrick's family had just bought a giantbeach house and Varrick wanted any excuse to throw a party. Bolin had worked his magic, and the party had become his. Varrick had said not to worry- he was going to pull out all the stops. Bolin convinced Korra and Mako that even though they wouldn't know everyone from his and Varrick's grade there, they'd at least have each other and _who cares, it would be an amazing party_!

They'd decided to have Varrick throw it the day before Korra's departure (at Mako's suggestion- _so you can run away!_ he whispered) and she figured if she packed early, she could stay there all night, rally, and meet her parents at the docks at four in the morning to embark on the ship at five. They all agreed that no one would be allowed to go home or fall asleep until Korra was safely in her parents' custody.

"Guys, this is going to be amazing!" Bolin tried his best not to scream as they walked Korra to her car.

"I'm actually pretty excited," Korra admitted. "Might as well go out with a bang, right!" ( _especially if the plan works ouuuutttttt_ , Mako whispered again, nudging her. She was going to punch him.)

"Oh by the way, Mako, Bolin cover your ears!" -and Bolin stuck his fingers in his ears and began a loud sing song melody- "I sort of told Bolin that we've been spending so much time together because we were getting him amazing presents so you better put your thinking cap on."

"I hate you. Any ideas?"

"Just one, and it's mine! I'll text you. Okay Bo!" she waved at him to get his attention.

"So we'll meet at your place?" he said.

"Sure," she said, ruffling his hair. "Asami will probably want to drive, so I can ask her to pick us up there."

"No! Let her meet us there, and we'll take the train," Bolin suggested. "That way she can join in on the festivities!"

"Yes, tell her that," Mako urged. "Otherwise she'll just worry if someone's dented her car the whole time."

"Okay, okay," she relented. "I'll tell her." (Sneaky fuckin' Mako).

* * *

 _Korra: 8:18p.m: sooooooo how you feeling weepy?_

 _Miss Sato: 8:18p.m: Puffy **unamused emoticon** That's the last time I let you choose the movie._

 _Korra: 8:20p.m: what! my next choice was going to be Titanic II: Jack is Back._

 _Miss Sato: 8:20p.m: Please tell me that doesn't exist…_

 _Korra: 8:21p.m: I can't lie to you Sami…_

 _Miss Sato: 8:21p.m: Like I said, you're not allowed to choose anymore._

 _Korra: 8:22p.m: did Bo tell you his epic bday plans?_

 _Miss Sato: 8:22p.m: I was just going to ask you. He told me we're going to Varrick's? and to ask you the rest._

 _Korra: 8:24p.m: wednesday, 8p.m, meeting at my place and taking the train so you don't have to drive us. Varrick just got a huge place on the beach. We'll pull an all-nighter and I'll meet my parents at the dock in the morning._

 _Korra: 8:24p.m: also, I might need your help coordinating my awesome birthday idea…_

 _Miss Sato: 8:25p.m: Very ambitious, I love it._

 _Miss Sato: 8:26p.m: What's that?_

 _Korra: 8:28p.m: get opal, wing and wei to secretly drive home from their grandparents for the long weekend!_

 _Miss Sato: 8:29p.m: That was my idea!_

 _Korra: 8:29p.m: let's do it! I already told her to say she couldn't if he asks her._

 _Miss Sato: 8:30p.m: Alright I'll call her. Now I'm going to have to think of something to top you…_

 _Korra: 8:31p.m: no! I know you will :(_

 _Miss Sato: 8:32p.m: **grin emoticon**_

 _Korra: 8:34p.m: except…I'm pretty sure its super hot when you're on top._

 _Miss Sato: 8:35p.m: It'd be even hotter if I was on top of you._

 _Korra: 8:36p.m: not to toot my own horn, but yes. it would be._

 _Korra: 8:37p.m: surfboard!_

 _Miss Sato: 8:38p.m: Omg_

 _Miss Sato: 8:39p.m: If Opal comes she's not allowed to tell us any terrible fun facts._

 _Korra: 8:40p.m: that's like telling lil' wayne he can't use metaphors_

 _Miss Sato: 8:41p.m: She's going to have to deal with it._

 _Korra: 8:42p.m: i'm excited to see you again though…and not have you sobbing everywhere_

 _Miss Sato: 8:43p.m: We're going to have to add this to the "never speak of…" list._

 _Korra: 8:43p.m: no! i've never been able to make anyone that wet before_

 _Miss Sato: 8:44p.m: Goodnight, Korra._

 _Korra: 8:45p.m: noooo!_

 _Miss Sato: 8:45p.m: **snoozing emoticon**_


	9. On Fire

Enjoy!

* * *

Korra was trying really hard not to pee her pants. Her five a.m shifts usually felt like forever _anyway_ , but this was a thousand times worse. She still had to go home and pack, Bolin's party was tonight, she hadn't decided what to wear, she was still attempting to hide and coordinate Opal and her brothers' arrival, they still had to go to the liquor store, Mako kept sending her encouraging texts that made her anxious, and Asami had been disarmingly nice to her the past two days even though Korra had just made her shed more tears in one day than she had in her entire adult life. All of that, on top of the excruciating slowness of the clock and of Zuko's swim strokes, was driving her mad. If she had to watch him creep out of the pool she would probably implode.

She wiped down the already dry deck once more, and rearranged the goggle box before sitting at the edge of the deep end and dipping in her feet. The pressure of the cool water around her legs was calming, and she made tiny circles with them as she eyed the clock.

"Something on your mind, young one?" she heard from her left, and noticed Zuko taking a break, holding on tightly to the far wall.

"Everything!" she said immediately, "Literally ten thousand things!" (Her anxiousness reared again as she spoke for the first time in three hours, and she had to remind herself to shutup before she told Zuko her entire life story. Fifteen minutes left!)

"I can't remember ten things these days, let alone ten thousand," he chuckled, swimming towards her. "It's been very good for my peace of mind."

"I guess they'll all be dealt with by tomorrow," she said.

"What's tomorrow?" Zuko questioned.

"Oh, I meant to tell you," she said. "I'm going home to the South Pole tomorrow with my family, so I won't be the one to let you into the pool the next two weeks."

"It won't be Hasook, will it? He is not as fun as you are," he chuckled.

"Probably not," she laughed. "He usually takes the later shifts. It might be Ryu."

"I can work with that," he smiled. "Has my grandson messaged you yet? I wouldn't want you to forget him in your time away."

"He hasn't (have not checked, totally forgot all about this) but I promise I won't forget, Mr. Zuko."

"Just Zuko is fine," he chuckled. "Have a good vacation!"

"Thanks, And Korra?"

"Yeah?"

"Those ten thousand things will work themselves out. You just have to let them."

"Are you telling me to 'go with the flow,'" she said blankly.

He chuckled. "You must hear that a lot, being from the Water Tribes."

"Yeah. And even more recently."

"There is a reason they say that. I promise."

"Thanks Mr. Zuko. Zuko. I'll try and remember that. I'll see you around!" she waved to him as she tried her best not to just bolt out of the gym, at the strike of ten.

* * *

 _Miss Sato: 7:20p.m: Driver will be picking you, Bobo and Mako up at your place at 9:00p.m. He will already have me, Opal, W &W. Don't be late. _

_Korra: 7:28p.m: pardon me, miss sato. driver? as in limo driver?_

 _Miss Sato: 7:30p.m: Yes, ma'am. But don't tell Bo anything, it's his new present. I thought of it after you stole my original idea. (Also, this way none of us have to be DD!)_

 _Korra: 7:30p.m: how come you didn't tell me :c_

 _Korra: 7:30p.m: you're a genius!_

 _Miss Sato: 7:31p.m: Because it's also part of your kind-of going away present? And I'm aware._

 _Korra: 7:31p.m: ohh, thank you! you didn't have to get me anything, really. what's the other part?_

 _Miss Sato: 7:32p.m: Bolin said I should._

 _Miss Sato: 7:32p.m: You'll see when I finally decide on what to wear ;)_

 _Korra: 7:33p.m: oh I forgot to tell u_

 _Korra: 7:33p.m: i'll be charming your clothes off so don't bother wearing any_

 _Miss Sato: 7:34p.m: My, my, my. Then I guess I'll be ready once I take off what I have on now?_

 _Korra: 7:34p.m: which is?_

 _Miss Sato: 7:35p.m: Black tank top, black boy shorts…no bra_

 _Korra: 7:35p.m: **tongue hanging out emoticon**_

 _Korra: 7:35p.m: hold on, Mako is here, he wants to go to the liquor store real quick_

 _Miss Sato: 7:36p.m: Tell Mako you don't have time, you're in the middle of some seriously hot cyber sex._

 _Korra: 7:38p.m: LOL OMG no way, he would crash the car_

 _Miss Sato: 7:40p.m: Get me something that's not gross. Also, MAKE SURE YOU ASSHOLES ARE BACK AND READY BY 9:00._

 _Korra: 7:38p.m: we will, promise!_

Bolin was dressed first and pacing Korra's living room because he was so excited, yelling upstairs for Mako and Korra to hurry, because he thought they still had to catch the train. Korra "changed her outfit" about four times in order to stall, giving Asami's limo time to show up. She also told Mako his hair didn't look right so that he'd retreat back into the bathroom to fix it, which killed an extra fifteen minutes, easily.

"So are you going to go through with _the plan_?" he said, as he moved single hairs on his head into the right place.

"That is _the plan_ ,"Korra said, "Except there are _no actual plans_ involved in it." She tugged at her rolled up shirtsleeve. "More just, 'spill your guts'."

"Going with the flow," Mako answered, taking more gel.

"Yeah. I got that. But, she's still got Iroh, so I'm not so sure how well it's going to flow," she reminded, picking at her bangs and wolftail. (Fucking Mako making her paranoid about her hair now…)

"You're way cooler than that guy, honestly, she'd be crazy to go for him over you" Mako told her turning around. "Also, Bolin told Asami she couldn't bring him cause Varrick hates him. Stole the lead in the play from him last year or something like that?"

( _He can fucking act too?_ ) "Really? (yaas Bolin! she would have to hug him later) It would have been good to know that _hours_ ago so I wasn't flipping out about it! I purposely didn't ask her cause I didn't want to inadvertently give her the idea to bring him!"

"Well now you know! Bo actually said no lovers were allowed since he couldn't have Opal, but I guess that's a moot point now."

"He's going to freak! Speaking of, what did you get him?"

"You'll see. But it also goes against the rule too, sort of."

"Does it now!"

"Yeah. Maybe you'll end up breaking it too! And, if I don't get the chance to say it later, I've got your back tonight. Whatever you decide to do."

"I know, I appreciate it. Really."

"How does it look?" He asked, presenting his hair.

"Good. It was fine the first time, I just needed to kill some time."

"Seriously? Do you know how _wrong_ this could have gone?"

They were interrupted by the doorbell, and Mako was tackled into the door as Korra _flew_ down the stairs, even beating Bolin to the door, and shoved him straight over her couch as he went to open it. But it was not Asami that greeted her.

After a moment of shock, Korra shrieked. Literally, the loudest, girliest, most piercing sound that had ever left her mouth was now in the air, and she couldn't care less.

 _"THE PHONE STORE GIRL?"_

She picked Bolin up, who was just getting up off the couch.

 _"This is the girl Mako met at the phone store!"_ she screamed at Bolin, whose face immediately lit up.

 _"Mako brought a girl?"_

"We'll she's never going to come back here again if you guys don't _SHUT UP!_ " Mako had finally made it down the stairs after recovering from Korra's tackle. "Hey. Sorry about them," he said, shyly waving to the girl, who stood amused in the doorway. "This is my brother, Bolin. Introducing you guys is my present to you, Bo."

"It is a true pleasure to meet you," Bolin said to her, shaking her hand frantically (as Korra gave Mako the thumbs up for _excellent gift idea_ ).

"You too," the girl laughed. "We've met," she said to Korra, shaking her hand.

"We have. And I just- I don't even know what to say- I'm so happy to see you." Korra finally got out. She was still recovering from her excitement. She almost missed the limo pulling up the driveway.

"Hey Bo! Speaking of gifts, Asami's got something for you!"

"Is it better then what is standing in front of me right now?"

"Take a look!" she pointed out the door.

They all stepped outside and into the driveway just in time to see Opal, Wing, Wei and Asami pose ridiculously outside the limo in party hats to yelled a wild " _Happy Birthday!_ " for him.

They waited for Bolin's reaction, but he seemed to have broken. No sound came from him except a soft sniffling. Between Opal, the limo, Mako having a "girl-friend", his birthday, his heart, no matter how large it was, just couldn't take it.

"Aw, Bo!" Korra laughed, stepping up to side hug him. The rest rushed up to join her, squeezing him in the middle.

"You guys are the best!" he wailed, as Opal gave him a kiss on the cheek. When they all broke apart, he gave Asami her own bone crushing hug, and thanked her for being the best almost older sister a guy could ask for.

Once he'd let her go, Korra finally got a good look at Asami.

She

was

flawless

as always, in a backless, red, lace, longsleeved bodycon dress, that literally made Korra's jaw drop (like, _what had the other options been? did she_ _even want to know_? whatever the case, she was sure this was absolutely the best choice Asami could have made). She didn't think Asami had noticed between Bolin's sniffles and hugs, but she literally had to tear her eyes away and pick her jaw up off the floor at the sound of Opal's voice.

"Who is this?"

Mako groaned as Opal brought attention to the girl, who really was finding this endlessly hilarious, and patted his shoulder.

"I'm his friend from the phone store," she giggled, shaking Opal's hand. "You must be Bolin's girlfriend?"

Screams and every version of " _Mako brought a girl?_ " went around the group, for what seemed like twenty minutes before he finally managed to threaten to put them all in jail if they didn't stop.

"That is Bo's girlfriend," Mako finally managed to introduce. "And those are her brothers, Wing and Wei, and that's Asami!"

It seemed Asami was unsure of what to think of the girl. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said calmly however, not one to miss a beat. "I hope you have a good time tonight."

"Oh, I am already having a fabulous time," the girl added, "I have a feeling it can only get better."

Asami raised her eyebrow, but smiled before moving her attention back to Bolin. "Well Mr. Birthday Boy, your chariot awaits you!" she motioned at the open door, and then to the rest of them. "And I guess you guys can come too."

* * *

Korra spent the entire first half of the ride staring at Asami and trying not to drool, trying to forget their last conversation about Iroh, (thinking about how she'd have to congratulate Mako on getting this girl to agree to come out with him tonight without her help) and debating whether she would just implode if her and Asami flirted tonight like they had been (and if she really really _really_ was going to go through with her and Mako's "tell Asami you're madly in love with her before you leave" plan. It was very comforting that she was going to run thousands of miles away after if she did, (thank you Mako) but _wow life is stressful_ ).

She noted that she was sitting alone in her stupor as they pre-gamed, Wing and Wei already polishing off one of the bottles of vodka she'd bought for them, Mako mixing something for him and his girl, and Opal, Bolin and Asami yelling at each other in hushed tones in the corner. She caught Asami's eye before tearing herself away and deciding to get out of her head and make conversation with Wei, across from her.

He was trying to convince her that they had made out once when Korra was dating Wing (which, he had brought up _so often_ since that time, she was reluctantly starting to believe him- but she knew she could never give in to doubt because an elaborate a long con like this was not unusual for the two of them), when Asami, slid over (she was trying really hard not to just gape at how the red material clung to Asami's thighs, or wonder why she was giving Opal and Bolin the finger) to sit next to Korra.

Korra was telling Wei how his stupid hair would never fool her when she felt Asami's hand on her thigh. She tried not to turn beet red immediately as Asami handed her a cup of something.

"What is it?"

"You're going to have to ask lover boy over there," she laughed.

"Which one? You can only tell they're related when they're being gross and mushy," Korra stuck her tongue out, since Opal and Bolin had started to make out the moment Asami had left them alone.

"The brooding one," Asami laughed. "And I think it's cute," she hesitated, as if gauging Korra's reaction. "Mako never lets go like this. Are you okay?"

"I'm great? I know, its kind of unusual, but I guess it does look good on him," she thought, noticing the uncharacteristic uncontrolled smile on her friend's face (maybe she had rubbed of on him a little).

"Not as good as this shirt looks on you," Asami teased, changing the subject (and tearing Korra's attention away from Mako) by playing with the sleeve Korra had meticulously rolled probably close to a hundred times.

"Thanks," she managed, hiding her face by taking a sip of the drink Mako had made. Once she'd composed herself she finally dared to blatantly look Asami up and down. "Not as good as that dress looks on you," she pointed. "On a scale of one to ten, definitely a thirty two."

Asami nudged Korra's shoulder. "I figured this was more appropriate than nothing."

"Probably," Korra nudged back. "I wouldn't want you to cause a scene."

"Don't do any heavy lifting tonight, you two" Opal said, tearing herself away from Bolin to beam at Korra and Asami. "Your clothes are so tight they might literally rip off."

"Fuck you," Asami laughed, while Korra stuck out her tongue. "Maybe that was the plan!"

"Well count me in!" Opal whooped, bringing out another bottle she had brought for Bolin. "Bo, why didn't you wear something tighter, can you hulk out of that?"

"I might have to do some pushups…but yeah," he said, testing the material.

"Don't talk about pushups Bo," Wing laughed. "You might get into another competition with Korra, and lose!"

"Remember how you couldn't use your arms for two days and Opal had to feed you?" Wei added snorting.

"Mental note, mention pushups once they've had enough to drink," Opal whispered over to Asami, winking and pointing subtly at Korra's arms, which were already tight against her shirt. Asami rolled her eyes and pushed her away.

"I just bought that for you!" Mako yelled. "You better not fucking rip it with pushups!"

"I mean if that's what the people want Mako! I will have to give it to them," Bolin laughed, flexing.

"You know where to find me, Bo," Korra pitched in, raising her cup.

"To pushups!" Opal cheered.

A while later, through all their conversations and boisterous laughing, came Bolin's yell came from the corner. "We're here! Remember the plan! We have to keep Korra awake!"

They all cheered in agreement chugged their drinks, and filed out of the limo in pairs. It seemed Wing and Wei had their own ideas on what mischief they were going to get into, which left Korra paired with Asami. She offered Asami her arm, which she accepted with an exaggerated courtesy and squeeze of her bicep, and they trailed off after the twins.

* * *

To say the house was huge was an understatement. She guessed it was 80% marble on the inside, with dark floors and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. That made it even more unbelievable as to how many people Varrick had managed to pack into the space to make it seem full. He was not kidding when he said he would be pulling out all the stops.

They made their way past the living room, which he'd turned into a stage for the bands that were playing through the night. Korra assumed they were mostly Varrick's friends from the art program by the way they took turns playing the instruments and making space for eccentric dancing in the crowd. They were mostly covers, so half the noise in the room was a result of a hundred voices drunkenly singing along.

They moved on to the kitchen, which had been turned into a bar. They decided to take one last shot as a group before they inevitably lost each other to the party (and hopefully, some making out ;) ). The reality of probably having to be alone with Asami all night shot a wave of panic through Korra, and she politely slipped out of Asami's grip and approached phone store girl.

"Hey, uh, mind if I borrow him for a second?" she pointed to Mako, smiling sweetly.

"Sure," the girl agreed patting him on the back. She was already engrossed with the rules of a drinking game Wing and Wei were attempting to explain to her. Korra didn't miss the strange look Asami gave her out of the corner of her eye as they retreated together.

Korra pulled him a few paces out of earshot before pacing in front of him nervously.

He looked confused as to why he was there. "Uh, what's up?"

"So um, remember that conversation we had…" she started, wringing her hands. "..it was a while ago, so you might not remember, uhm, where you called me a chicken, and I said fuck you, I'm not a chicken, and you said prove it, and I told you I would?"

"You mean the one from like three days ago?"

"Yeah, that one."

"What about it?"

She rolled on the balls of her feet. "Soooo, as it turns out… _IamaGIANTFUCKINGCHICKEN_ , _and there is no way this is happening_!" She pulled at her hair as she went into a full on panic.

"What? You have to! _We agreed_ , Korra!"

"I know, but I don't know if you've seen Asami today, Mako," she questioned calmly, stopping her pacing to look him in the eyes, "but if looks could kill, she could _murder_ the _entire_ Air Nation _herself_ tonight."

Mako spared a glance over to their group, where Asami was sipping at something Bolin had made her, smiling and politely paying attention to the game Wei was explaining. His brows furrowed.

"What."

"Has Asami always been that attractive?" he asked incredulously, looking her up and down. It seemed he had just noticed exactly what she was wearing, (or that she was hot?) with same confused look on his face.

"Uh, yeah," Korra said, mocking his confounded look.

"…I feel like I messed up somehow," he said, mostly to himself, searching the floor.

"Yeah, _you did_ , but _focus_! It's a _problem_ Mako" she whispered frantically. "How am I supposed to be alone with her all night with you fraternizing with the cute phone girl and Bolin off with Opal? I'm going to freak out, I'm not going to know what to say-"

"Korra."

"And she's going to think I'm so weird and I probably won't be able to stop _staring_ like a creep-"

"Korra!"

"And we're literally going to be here for like six hours, I do not have six hours of conversation planned-"

"KORRA!" Mako yelled, taking Korra by the shoulders and shaking her, finally snapping her out of her rant.

"WHAT!"

"Look, I'm here with phone store girl for six hours too, and I've only known her for what? Like two weeks? I definitely do not have six hours of anything planned, but I'm going to be okay." He told her.

"You're going to be okay?"

"Yes. And you've never needed conversation cards with Asami anyway Korra-"

"Wait, you don't have a plan, Mako?! What were you thinking!"

Mako shook Korra again. "Hey! This was because of you springing your "find Bolin a great present," thing on me last minute and I'm dealing with it!"

"Okay, sorry."

"I don't have a plan. That's the point. I'm working it out as I go, like you usually would, because we've got to go with the flow for this to work out, remember?"

"Go with the flow, right."

"We may have plans for the end of the night, but let's just see where it takes us until then, right?"

"Right, yeah, you're right, I'm sorry, she's just intimidating me a bit," Korra took a deep breath out.

"Maybe try telling her…without actually saying anything?"

"Like…show her?"

"Yeah, you're good at showing affection, right?"

"I guess so?"

"So you'll be fine. She obviously wants to be around you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Phone store girl is really into you too, sorry for taking you away," Korra apologized, snapping out of her panic.

"It's okay. One last pep talk!"

"Don't fuck it up Mako."

"Thanks. I'll do my best not to."

"Mako."

"Yeah?"

"Slap me."

"What?!"

"Just slap me. Right here," she pointed to her cheek.

"What? Why?"

"I need to focus! Come on just do it!" She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'm not going to hit you!"

"Mako!"

"Korra! Okay, what if you hit me, really quick, right on the cheek, will that work?" he asked.

"Yeah, okay."

"Okay," he braced himself against her shoulders.

"You ready?"

"Ready."

Korra took a deep breath and whapped Mako right in the face. She saw him tear up, but take a deep breath in and out.

"Oh shit, was that too hard, I'm sorry!"

"No it's fine." She shook his head quickly to regain his focus. "You good?"

"I'm good. Thanks, Mako."

"You're welcome. Now let's get back out there."

"Good luck!"

"Good luck to you too, buddy."

They rejoined the group, Korra's nerves surprisingly more at ease. She saw Opal slap Asami's ass, and then run off behind Bolin when Asami looked like she might punch her. That was her friend. She had nothing to worry about. If Mako thought he could wing it, Korra definitely could, especially if she could pull it off without giving a long awkward speech about her feelings.

"Everything okay?" Asami asked her, a worried look on her face as Korra approached (and smoothly slid an arm around her waist- _shit,_ _is my hand_ _on fire_?) in an extremely bold act of possessiveness.

"Yeah, great," she smiled letting out a breath (Asami hadn't moved away).

"You sure?" Asami seemed to be searching her eyes for some sort of hint Korra could be lying. She seemed to ease when she didn't find one.

"Yeah. You going to teach me this game?" she said, nodding her head towards the kitchen table, never taking her eyes off Asami.

"Honestly, its less of a game and more Wing and Wei tricking you into taking shots," she whispered leaning back into Korra. "I don't think Bolin has realized yet," she laughed.

Korra studied the game for a moment before realizing there were no actual rules, and Wing and Wei were just making things up, and then pouring shots for anyone who messed up. "I totally would have fallen for it," she whispered back, shaking her head. "So, do you want to go check out the band instead?"

Asami gave her one last questioning look, before responding. "I do, but maybe later. I saw a card table over there I'd like to school a few people in," she smirked.

"Sounds fabulous. Shall we?"

They waved bye to Wing, Wei, Mako and his girl (Bolin and Opal whistling at Asami as she walked away), before joining the poker game that was currently in session.

"Hey girls," the dealer greeted.

"Hi," Asami replied sweetly. "What's the buy in?"

"Twenty a piece," he said. "And you're brave. You know this is strip poker, right?"

"I do now," she said. "Worst hand removes an item of clothing?"

"Every player but the winner removes an item," he clarified. "And as I'm sure you know," he said, motioning up and down at her with the cards, "you are only wearing one."

"I am aware," she looked over at Korra. "What do you say? You win one round and I'm out, I've got to win at least three to get those pants off."

"You know if I play I'll be sitting here naked in no time," Korra laughed. "So how about we see how I do with just one round, to start?"

"You're no fun," Asami pouted.

"There are simpler ways to get my clothes off Sato," Korra winked. "But I know you like a challenge, so lets at least take some off these guys."

"You know me too well," Asami smiled, throwing in the money from her clutch for her and Korra. "Let's play."

* * *

Two hours and seven rounds of strip poker later, Asami (fully clothed) had managed to win the life savings of six almost naked high schoolers, one of Varrick's parents "priceless" vases, a bottle of very expensive firewhisky, and the keys to one somebody's car, before she decided to show them a little mercy. Korra, at least, had the good sense to tap out early once she'd lost her socks, and resigned to being Asami's personal cheerleader and bartender.

"Think we've embarrassed them enough?" Asami asked her, as the next round ended, and the last of the guys was begging for her to take something besides his underwear.

"I think so," Korra agreed, leaning on the table. "And that firewhisky isn't going to drink itself," she added, pointing to the bottle in Asami's winnings pile.

"We'll, it's been a pleasure fellas, but I think we're going to get out of here," Asami stood up, straightening her dress, and picking up the bottle of whisky. "The rest is for you," she told the dealer, motioning to all the money and the car keys.

Korra lead her past the kitchen, an arm once more on her waist, where she stole two glasses and some ice, and to one of the balconies, where they found a bench a welcome reprieve from the loud music.

"So what have we here, Miss Sato?" Korra asked in a mock nasally voice, as she set the glasses on the railing.

"This would be the Dragon of the West Hibiscus Firewhisky," Asami read, looking over at her mischievously. "Breathe Fire," she added with a wink.

"Ooh, sounds fancy," Korra played along. "And the age? You know I like my whisky like I like my women- sophisticated."

Asami walked over with the bottle and began to pour into the two glasses. "Fifty years. Bottled the year Mt. Roku erupted," she explained. "All the ash it created made the soil richer that year, and they say you can still taste the flames, if that's sophisticated enough for your tongue?"

Korra laughed, raising the glasses in a toast. "I think it will do for now."

They clinked glasses, and took a sip of the firewhisky in question.

" _Woah!_ " Asami was the first to cough after taking her first sip, "They were _not_ kidding!"

"Holy _shit,_ Asami, check, is my mouth on fire?" Korra asked, fanning her tongue.

"You're okay," Asami's face was bright red as she took deep breaths, trying not to laugh at Korra. "Wow," she cleared her throat. "I was not expecting that."

"Seriously, its not on fire?" Korra still seemed worried that maybe there was a flame they couldn't see.

"It's _fine_ , Korra" Asami laughed. "Though I might have to sit down to finish this one." She took a seat on the small marble bench that occupied space on the balcony. She patted the space next to her and watched amusedly as Korra joined her, still fanning her tongue.

Their silence was calm, the cool night breeze carrying the sounds of the ocean with it, keeping them occupied. Korra would have been content with the silence, (once the fire on her tongue was out) but was too curious, and had to break it with the question that had been eating her since the night began.

"So is this the other half of my present? One on one time with you, and this finely aged whisky?" she asked playfully.

"Well, the whisky wasn't initially part of it," Asami said, smiling. "Just a perk of hanging out in my father's smoking parlor."

"I always wondered where you learned to play poker like that," Korra said, sipping.

"Yup. Though, the clothes usually stay on at those business meetings."

"I would hope so," Korra laughed, sniffling as the liquid burned her throat. "I don't think those guys have quite the same figure you do."

"I think not," Asami giggled, and finished her pour. "Want another?"

"Sure." Korra downed her glass in one large gulp, and coughed as her eyes began to burn. "Are you sure that stuff is legal?" she wheezed. "It really feels like my face is on fire."

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to take shots of a whisky like this, either, sport," Asami said as she poured for the two of them. "Probably doesn't help you're all Water Tribe. Can't take the heat."

Korra grinned. "Can't argue with that. Though I could stand to have few more hot fire nation things on my tongue." (I may not be able to take the heat but I can go with the flow!)

"Yeah, seems like there's a little flaw in your plan there," Asami joked.

"And what might that be?"

"The girl from the phone store?"

"What about her?" Korra asked.

"What do you mean? How are you okay with her?" Asami asked hesitantly. It seemed it was not a topic she had really wanted to breach.

"Okay with her?"

Asami was confused. "How are you okay with herrrrr if she's dating Mako…?"

"I think it's great she's dating Mako?" Korra said, getting confused herself.

"You're not making any sense. Didn't you have a fight over her?"

"You're not making sense! What fight? Why wouldn't I be okay with her?"

"How are you okay with her if you _also want to date Mako?_ "

Korra spit out the sip of whiskey that was in her mouth, and it looked for a second like she was actually breathing fire. " _WHAT? Mako?"_ She was on her feet now. "What makes you think that?" (No really, how had she been giving off _Mako_ vibes when she literally only thought of Asami 24/7/365/eternity.)

"What do _you_ mean?" Asami asked incredulously. "He said you guys were spending a lot of time together, _and you have been_. He said you get along way better than you ever did before. And you literally slapped him in the face earlier!" She seemed almost to be in a panic.

"That was, I asked him to! Not because of her!"

"Why would you ask him to slap you?!" Asami was standing now too. (How had she misread what was going on so badly? How had she reacted so badly?)

"I wanted him to pump me up, you know, uh…for the party?" Korra fidgeted for a moment before taking another huge gulp of her whisky. (If this conversation kept up she was going drink the whole bottle even though she was already feeling pre-tty good.).

"You've been all over each other the past few weeks!" Asami yelled, before covering her mouth in surprise. It seemed the firewhisky was making her blurt things she wouldn't normally.

"That… _what!_ All over? We hang out because he's been helping me with… a project… and because I was helping him talk to her! _I got him her phone_ _number_ for crying out loud!"

"So, wait," Asami paused, fiddling with her glass. "That means…you don't like him?" she asked timidly.

This was her shot. If she went with the flow, there was only one logical place this conversation could go, but it seemed too real, too soon, too everything! (The love of your life just thought you wanted MAKO, maybe it would be completely unexpected if she dropped the "I love you" bomb right here, right now.)

"No," Korra looked over Asami seriously. "No. I do not like Mako." (How do I show her?)

" _Fuck,_ " Asami whispered, breaking eye contact with Korra to look down at her glass. "I'm sorry," she said eventually. "I just, I don't know what I was thinking. _Fuck_."

"I guess, I can see where you're coming from. We have been getting along a lot better lately, but, it's not because of anything like that, I promise you," Korra explained, stepping closer to Asami, who seemed to be having a tiny mental breakdown. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I just, uh I'm not used to being this _wrong_ about something" she said, looking stricken. ( _I've made a huge mistake_ ). "I guess I'm processing it."

"Welcome to my world," Korra laughed. "You could have asked me. How come you never said anything?"

Asami turned her gaze back to her glass, her eyes glazing over. "Well, uh, I wasn't sure how, or if I wanted to know? A part of me assumed there was no way, but… the evidence just seemed... _overwhelming_ ," she finished thickly.

"If there's anything Mako's taught me, is that evidence is unreliable," Korra smiled. "And that was during normal, regular, _platonic_ , friend bonding," she assured, finishing the contents of her glass.

Asami was quiet, looking everywhere but at Korra.

"Hey. I forgive you," she soothed, not understanding why Asami hadn't recovered yet. "Let's just pour another glass, forget this craziness, and go dance? I've got all the hot Fire Nation I could want right here, even if she's only half," she said playfully. ( _Maybe I'll show you who I really want._ )

"Yeah?" Asami smiled, finally meeting her eyes.

"Yeah," Korra answered, holding out her hand.

Asami seemed to consider Korra's offer, before looking up to consider how flushed the whisky had made Korra's face, how the wind messed up her hair, how her shirt really was very tight, how her blue eyes were sending shivers through her even though she was burning up from the whisky.

"Okay," she said, softly, taking Korra's hand and letting Korra lead her back to the railing. Korra picked up the bottle and poured the remainder into their glasses, so none went to waste.

"Are you okay?" Korra asked, feeling Asami's hesitation.

"Yeah," Asami smiled, more convincing now, drinking half the glass before stepping into Korra and wrapping her arms around her sides in a hug. "I'm sorry," she said again, burying her face in Korra's collar.

"You don't have to be," Korra assured returning the embrace, before she was distracted by a knock on the sliding glass door.

It was Opal, giving her the thumbs up and squealing, (or so she assumed, since she couldn't hear through the door).

"What is up with Opal today?" Korra asked.

Asami looked up just as Opal blew her a kiss. Her jaw set. "She's asking for me to kill her," Asami growled, stepping away from Korra. She pushed the glass in Korra's hand up to her mouth, so she drank and wouldn't ask her "for what?"

Korra noticed Asami watching the movement of her jaw and throat as she swallowed a gulp, and grinned. They had both just drank nearly half a bottle of whisky each. The flow (the alcohol) was ready to play.

"You know, I'm kind of upset you're so good at poker," she teased.

Asami blushed. "You had your shot, you just chickened out."

"When I get that dress off, I don't want it to be because of a card game," she said, taking another sip.

Asami shook her head, still blushing behind her glass. ( _Me either_.) She considered the waves for a moment, before breaking her silence. "What was the project?"

"Hm?"

"The project. That Mako was helping you with."

"Oh, uh…its nothing. Well, not nothing, but-" (FUCK) "It's uh, something for you?" (Smooth, Korra, smooth. This whisky was making it unbearably hot, even out here.)

"For me?"

"Yeah, you know. Like from me…for you?"

"A present?"

"Something like that." (Wow, Korra, another amazing gift you have to think up).

"What is it!"

"I'm not telling you until you tell me what the other part of my gift was supposed to be!"

"Well, its going to sound stupid now…" Asami smiled, swirling around the last bits of ice.

"No, it wooon't," Korra whined. "Come on!"

"Well, it's not really a real thing," Asami paused, seeming unsure. She moved so she was in Korra's space again and clinked their glasses together, signaling her to drink. "Just something I thought was funny."

"I'm sure I'll like whatever it is," Korra assured, already nearing the end of her glass. She noticed Asami was flushed too, the red on her neck and chest almost matching the red of her dress. She would have to speak to the Dragon of the West for making such an excellent product.

"I'm sure you will too," Asami whispered, looking her right in the eye. "It was supposed to be," she moved closer, her mouth hot on the Southerner's ear, " _what's underneath this dress_ ," she finished sultrily.

Korra swallowed hard. If she wasn't on fire before, she was now. If Asami wasn't hot before, this whisky definitely made her. _And the red_. The red dress. "The dress itself isn't enough?" she laughed uneasily. "What's under it?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," Asami smiled easily, bringing her glass up to her lips one last time. She polished off the remaining whisky, and motioned for Korra to do the same.

"How do I find out?" Korra stuttered, her face burning up.

"You know that's not how the game works, Korra," Asami laughed, pulling Korra back inside. "Wanna check them out?" she yelled over the music, pointing to the band.

Korra could only nod dumbly as she was led into the crowd.

* * *

They ran into Opal and Bolin on the dance floor (or, the part of the living room that was not occupied by a mish mosh of instruments and speakers) and Opal immediately grabbed Asami and shook her.

"Where have you been!" she yelled, before she noticed Korra, red and disheveled from the wind. " _Off alone with Korra this whole time?_ " she shrieked.

"Calm down, Opal," Asami laughed, nudging Opal in the stomach. "We just had a date with some expensive Fire Nation whisky," she explained.

"That explains why Korra is so red," Bolin laughed. "You still awake?" he checked.

"Shutup, Bo," Korra managed, even though every part of her really was on fire. "And yes, wide awake."

"Tahno's up next," Bolin told her, patting her back. "Calls his band the 'Wolfbats'" he added with finger quotes.

"That's a dumb name," Korra rolled her eyes.

"I know, the Fire Ferrets are way better, even though we're just a video game band."

"That's because _I_ am an excellent drummer," Asami butt in, her arms around both their shoulders. "But let's see how well Tahno's guy does."

Tahno eventually approached the stage, and introduced the Wolfbats in his usual slow sneering tone.

"He looks extra emo these days," Bolin pointed out.

Korra was already getting a kick out of that. "Sing for us pretty boy!" she yelled up at him. (Korra and Tahno were both captains on the swim team, and endlessly ragged on each other from everything from their hair to their handwriting, which would lead most people to believe that they hated each other, whereas it could be explained more as an antagonistic respect (yeah, even they know it's strange, but since Asami'd punched him, it was true)).

Tahno caught her voice in the crowd before giving her the finger, and starting up his band. They played (obviously) only covers of emo or pop punk songs, which (don't tell Tahno) sounded pretty good.

They jumped and danced, (that whisky really did it's job) and screamed when they found Mako and phone store girl dancing on the other end of the room (GET IT MAKO!). Korra found her and Asami brushing against each other more than once in the sea of people. She eventually found the courage to pull Asami against her as they jumped, which Asami stopped in favor of simply leaning back into Korra's front, fingers intertwined on her waist (she hoped Asami couldn't feel how badly she was burning up, because she was on fire, and Asami's bare shoulder was just _calling_ for her lips) as they sang along.

They remained like that until Wing and Wei came up behind them ( _You still awake Korra? Great!_ ) and lifted Korra and Asami onto their respective shoulders and continued their hectic jump/mosh dance style while holding them up ( _How are they doing this!?_ Asami screamed, laughing. _They're going to break something!_ )

Cheers erupted as the set ended, andTahno caught sight of Korra on Wing's shoulders in the crowd. He called her up to the stage, his usual arrogant smirk on his face, the crowd ooh-ing at the clear antagonism between the two.

"Come on Uhvatar," he teased through the microphone. "Why don't you show if us your voice is as smooth as your swim strokes?"

"Tahno, you fucking know it is!" Korra yelled back at him.

"How about you come show us?" He egged, getting the crowd to jeer him on.

She was egged on by her friends pushing her forward, and Wing hopping up nearer to the stage with her still on his shoulders, urging her to go take the stage.

"Show him how the Fire Ferrets do it!" ( _Bolin, stop, I drank too much to sound good-_ )

"Come on Korra, it would be so fun!" ( _You're just as bad as Bo, Opal!)_

"Go. With. The. Flow." ( _Fuck you Mako!)_

"It's okay if you're scared." ( _Asami too? Oh hell no_. She was _done_ being accused of being a chicken.)

"Bring it on, pretty boy."

"Well alright," he started, pulling Korra up out of the crowd. "The Wolfbats have very special guest tonight," he introduced. He earned whoops and cheers from the crowd. "Our very own Korra, of the Southern Water Tribe," he said smoothly, choosing a song off the band's list for her. He winked at her as he picked up his own guitar and moved off to the side.

Korra grinned. If she was going to be up here, she might as well make the best of it, right? Plus, theater kids love a show, and she could do a show. She approached the mic, and tapped at it. She heard Bolin's screams of her name from in the corner and pointed at him. "I want to give a shout out to my buddy Bolin- happy birthday Bo, you're the best!" she screamed. The whoops from the crowd became louder as Bolin's friends chanted his name.

"But as much as I love you, I'm going to have to dedicate this one to _Miss_ Asami Sato," she finished with a wink. She heard a bloody scream of excitement and a wolf howl from the other end of the crowd, and pinpointed Opal holding her hand over her mouth and Mako, shrugging his shoulders sheepishly. Asami was also smiling shyly, shaking her head. The band started up again once she was ready, and she went nuts.

Korra's had never been shy on a stage (though she couldn't say it was her favorite place in the world), and her and Tahno had frequently shared one for swimming fundraisers where they'd do covers of old bands in the auditorium. She was thankful her friends were boisterous, and that she had drank enough to not care what she did. Her dance moves were just an amalgamation of things Wing had taught her, and a lot of jumping.

She remembered quickly that Iroh clearly could command a stage (and Asami had probably gone to see the dumb play) and decided to work with what she knew. At the break, she threw in a backflip off the speaker, and licked Tahno's guitar when he held it out to her, thanking him silently for giving her the opportunity to make Asami blush.

She looked her right in the eye as she knelt down on the stage and sang to her.

 _Why don't you show me a little bit of spine you've been saving for his mattress?_

Asami's blush was as red as her dress, and Opal was squealing and shaking her. Mako was going nuts, (presumably because of Korra's brashness, and he was a fangirl for Korra if you ever saw one) lifting phone store girl onto his shoulders to cheer for Korra. Bolin had the crowd dancing, and Wing and Wei were moshing through the living room, taking Asami with them.

 _I only want sympathy in the form of you, crawling into bed with me._

That earned Asami's acknowledgement of Korra's challenge, and she indicated it to Korra with their usual signal of slicing her thumb across her neck.

 _You're dead._

Cheers resounded through the house as Korra finished, handing the mic back to Tahno. "Thanks," she smirked as she was swarmed by her friends. "Your band is gonna want a new singer now."

"Please, Uhvatar. Watch and learn," he said snapping his fingers at the other members. "Let's slow it down, boys," he told them, and the music started up once again.

Korra didn't see much more of Tahno's performance after Opal shoved Asami into her when she exited the stage. She didn't see much of anything except the green eyes in front of her.

"Hey," she laughed.

"Hey," Asami smiled back, gripping Korra's shirt to keep herself from falling over in the dancing crowd. "You're not too bad."

"Thanks," she said, rubbing her neck. "I really don't see why Tahno's got a band and not me," she added, nodding to his slow song. "He had to go for an obvious crowd pleaser to try and top me."

"So why not get some pleasure out of it?" Asami whispered in her ear, before wrapping her arms around Korra's shoulders.

"Huh?"

"You said you wanted spine, right?" she asked coyly, before shifting her hips against her friend in a slow dance. "You got it."

The resulting adrenaline from her performance must have boosted Korra's confidence, because rather than just stand there stupidly, she immediately reached out to hold Asami's hips (thank fucking god finally Korra good job). The room had become so crowded it seemed only natural they should be so close, but the side of Asami's head against hers and the smooth movements under her fingertips and softness pressed against her chest it seem even smaller. She really was going to have to thank Tahno. For as annoying as he was, he definitely helped with the _flow_.

 _However far away, I will always love you._

They moved slowly together, Korra silently hoping maybe somehow Asami would mistake Tahno's words for her own. She could whisper them now, right in her ear, _I will always love you_ , lost in their haze, and it would be done, the weight off her chest replaced by Asami's, hot and heaving. But she was lost, preoccupied by the heat her friend radiated against her and the concentration it took to make sure she was never once out of sync with her hips.

She moved her hands up and down Asami's back, feeling the smoothness of the bare skin, and burying her face in her neck. It was an extremely intimate version of a slow dance, and as she reached the spot where the dress curved at the base of Asami's spine, she felt her friend's nose brush against her ear, almost pleading for her to continue. So she did.

Asami's hand stroked down Korra's shoulder and her nails raked down Korra's tight shirt, into the dip of her tricep as Korra gripped her bottom, her movements becoming less controlled.

Tahno had moved on to his next song, but all she noted was that the sleaziness of it fit perfectly with his voice, and it made her want to be even closer to Asami (a closeness that was not possible with the fabric between them). It seemed Asami felt it too, and their previous trance was replaced by more _purposeful_ movements. The way they were pulling against one another was no longer enough, and Korra moved through the masses until Asami was against one of the tall speakers at the side of the stage (and now every part of her was pushed so close to every part of Korra, it was a wonder they hadn't just combusted from the friction). Asami groaned as Korra's hips pushed her up into the vibrating subwoofer, and she buried her face in Korra's sweating neck. Her hips were moving slowly from side to side to meet Korra's similarly slow, rough movements, causing her dress to ride up, and Korra could only sustain the motion (and its implications) for so long without wanting to rip Asami's clothes off entirely.

"Is it hot in here?" Asami asked breathlessly, her mouth still frustratingly close to Korra's ear, as Korra's fingertips moved up her exposed sides, and back down to her hips, pushing further.

Korra could barely register what was happening against her hips, let alone answer questions. But it was hot. Everything was hot. She didn't know which one Asami meant, but the answer was the same.

"Very," she groaned burying her face in Asami's hair.

"Then let's get out," Asami whispered, her lips ghosting over Korra's cheek.

"Will I find out what's under this dress?"

Her only answer was Asami pulling on her shirt collar through the crowd, and out the double doors at the back. Korra followed behind dumbly, seeing only Asami's weight shift on her curving hips as she walked. She barely noticed when Asami finally let go, and stood ten feet in front of her, next to the pool. (Only Varrick's family would have a beach house with a pool).

She did notice though, when Asami reached for the bottom of her skintight dress, slowly pulling it up over her head, revealing her matching lace underwear underneath, and Korra literally short circuited ( _goodbye ten thousand years of darkness, Ravaa has returned, spirits praise her)._

She watched as Asami took a few steps into the cool water before flipping her hair around and motioning with a finger and bit lip for Korra to come join her ( _was it actually hotter out here than inside?)_

Korra didn't move at first (she was burning the previous image into her mind). After a few seconds, it seemed to click that there was a beautiful girl in her underwear asking if Korra wanted to join her, half naked, in a pool. ( _Absolutely. Fuck yes_.)

She fumbled with her shoes and the buttons on her shirt, not taking her eyes of Asami's gaze as she threw off her clothing. It was not nearly as graceful as Asami's, undressing ( _why did clothes even exist?)_ but eventually she got there, and bounded down the stairs, (she would have to thank her parents tomorrow for putting her in sports, because Asami had not taken her yes off Korra's core) where Asami grabbed the waistband of her underwear, and pulled Korra against her, before moving her hands up Korra's arms to squeeze her shoulders.

Korra didn't even know if she was playing a game anymore. If she was, she wanted to lose. If this was losing, she would play a losing game every day. ( _Why had she thought winning was so great her whole life anyway?)_

"Better?" Asami asked.

"So much better," she answered, pulling Asami up against her by the waist again, trying not to notice how her rack threatened to spill out of the tight lingerie the closer she was pushed into Korra. "I guess I did manage to charm your clothes off."

"Not all of them," Asami smirked, running her hands back down Korra's arms and squeezing at her biceps. Her lips came dangerously close to Korra's, but those we're almost secondary to every other part of Asami that was currently against her.

"I wouldn't want to ruin such a perfectly wrapped gift," she countered, brushing her lips down Asami's cheek and neck as they wade together to the edge of the pool.

They heard Tahno's song ending from the boisterous cheers that came from the house, and as Asami's back hit the wall, she registered Bolin and Mako's screams somewhere in the mix. Something about Wu?

Asami smirked, and lifted Korra's head from her neck, playing with the hair at the back of Korra's head, her eyes pouring lust.

She could feel Asami's breath catch on her lips and her hips rise up against her as squeezed at her waist, before she reached out and took Asami's bottom lip between her teeth and pulled.

Mako and Bolin's yells became louder as Asami moaned and scratched at Korra's back, until Korra's teeth released her lip. Her legs came up to wrap around Korra's hips as Korra moved back in to kiss her properly. Her lips had barely brushed Asami's red ones when and she heard another yell of Cannonball! and a massive wave of cold water doused them both, breaking them apart.

"What the-"

"Wu! Get out of there!" It was Mako, and he looked frantic as Wu's commotion gained the attention of other partygoers that had seen him dive in. It was too late though, as three more people screamed and jumped into the pool with Wu (and Korra. and Asami.) effectively destroying any hope for privacy they'd had (at least their clothes were still on…right?)

Korra buried her face in Asami's hair and groaned. "I guess it's a pool party now, huh?" She said as at least twenty more people jumped into the pool.

"I guess so," Asami laughed hugging her friend.

"You weren't wrong about looking _incredible_ in your underwear," Korra groaned into her shoulder.

Asami felt Korra's hands running down her figure once more, around the legs that were still around Korra's hips (actually moving further than they had gone before, _good God_ ) to grip behind her thighs. "What are you doing?" she whispered, gasping as Korra lifted her. "Not here!" she cried, thumping on Korra's chest.

Whatever possible sexy thoughts she had of what Korra might be up to were destroyed when she felt herself being lifted up even higher and flipped over Korra's shoulders, and she landed face first into the pool. By the time she recovered and brought herself back upright, Korra had already swam away cackling and was attempting to pull Bolin in by his pant leg, as he screamed to be let go.

"Don't be a baby, Bo," she laughed. "You're 18 now, take it like a man!"

"She's right babe," Opal chimed in, before she snapped her fingers.

Wing and Wei were at her side in seconds, lifting Bolin by the legs and heaving him into the deep end. Korra swore half the water in the pool splashed out as he landed.

"I'll get you for this, Opal!" But he didn't have to, as Wing and Wei approached her next, and gave her similar treatment.

Opal surfaced near Asami, and swam towards her, a sly grin on her face.

"So what are you doing here, all on your lonesome, in your sexy underwear?" she asked.

"What do you think I was doing?" Asami laughed, splashing Opal in the face. "It got too hot on the dance floor."

"Oh, I saw." Opal jeered. "Bolin nearly had a heart attack trying to get Wu to stay inside. I told him we should've tied him down."

"It's alright," Asami mused. "Wouldn't have been more than half a moment anyway. It had just gotten good."

" _I'm going to kill that guy!_ " Opal yelled to the sky, "After all this?"

"What are you guys screaming about," came Korra's voice as she approached them again with Bolin in tow.

"How unjust the world is," Opal told her, before slumping into Bolin's wet shirt.

"You can say that again," Korra laughed, giving a sideways grin to Asami, who blushed. "This place is like a lifeguard nightmare," she added. "A hundred drunk people jumping around in a giant pool."

"Make that one hundred and two," Asami pointed out.

They looked over to see the phone store girl approach Mako from behind and wrestle him into the deep end (" _My phone was in my pocket!" "I'll get you twelve new ones!"_ )

"I knew I liked her," Opal said.

"Yeah, I think she'll fit right in," Korra laughed.

* * *

It was only an hour later when they were escorting Korra to the dock, still soaking wet, an inebriated Bolin leading the charge.

"Bes- best party ever guys. Best one. Ever," he slurred happily. He had his arms around Korra and Asami as they stumbled down the beach. "I'm so glad I have such good friends," he'd said, stopping in his tracks to pull them close, and nuzzle his forehead on their heads.

"I'm glad too, buddy," Asami agreed, chuckling at him and his displays of affection. They were all together now, even though they only had Korra for a little while longer, and she wanted to enjoy it too.

"Yeah, it's Mako that has terrible friends," Korra added. "That's the second day of mine Wu has ruined."

Bolin and Asami giggled at the thought, Bolin giving Asami a sly grin.

"Shutup Bo," she said through her teeth. He kept grinning at her as he slipped from underneath their arms and pushed the two of them together.

"Sorry," Asami laughed, as they knocked heads.

"It's okay," Korra said, slinging her arm around Asami's shoulder and pulling her close. "Thank you guys for walking me."

"It's our pleasure. Wouldn't want you getting lost… or walking into the ocean," Opal said.

"Please, where I'm going is a giant block of ice. It would be a disgrace for me to do either of those things."

"You got lost on your way to gym class that one day in middle school and ended up hiding under the stairs until the period ended," Mako reminded.

"And I thought I told you to lose that memory, or I'd beat it out of you," she said through her teeth, shaking her fist at Mako

"Hey, I'm just saying."

Eventually they reached the pier that Korra's boat home was docked and they sat, silently and drunkenly on the benches, Bolin smiling goofily with his eyes closed, until either Korra's parents and the limo that was taking them home showed up. There were already a few other passengers and crew members milling around.

"At least it looks nothing like the Titanic," Asami mused, burying her face in Korra's shirt.

Korra laughed. "I think it would be terribly bad luck if they did that," she smiled, pulling her friend closer.

"Do you have to go?" Asami asked softly.

"Unfortunately," Korra said regretfully, "But I'll be back before you know it!" (Had she done it? Did Asami know? Should she ask her? How were there more questions now than before?)

"Good," was all Asami could muster.

They were silent, until they heard splashes from the neighboring dock.

"What are they doing?" Mako asked.

Korra looked up from where she had been staring at Asami.

"Oh. It's this thing we do in the South. It's from a long time ago, before you knew if hunters or warriors were ever going to come back, or how long they'd be away. So when someone you love leaves on a ship, you jump in after it so the ocean spirit keeps you together," she answered. "I guess it's a little more of a statement there, where the water is freezing cold."

"That is extremely terrifying, but also extremely sweet," Opal said.

* * *

Eventually Korra's parents showed up, shaking their heads at the state their daughter and her friends were in. The ships horn sounded, and they went to drop off their bags while Korra said goodbye.

She hugged everyone, including Mako's girl(friend?), whispering Mako's favorite breakfast food into her ear. She laughed as the girl flushed a bright red, and she apologized.

Wing and Wei squeezed her and threatened to throw her into the ocean. Bolin and Opal thanked her for reuniting them and Opal gave her a mischievous pinch on the cheek, and called her a little heartbreaker (in her tight white shirt she knew would come off at some point!)

She and Mako embraced smoothly, and she promised him she would talk to him about the case while she was gone.

She paused when it was only Asami was left, blushing slightly next to Mako, her lip still red from where Korra had bitten it. She pulled her in and Mako smiled at Korra from behind Asami as she hugged her. She returned it, her eyes silently thanking him for whatever it was exactly they had accomplished. When they pulled away, she saw Asami on the verge of tears, and picked her up, squeezing her.

"I'll miss you," she sniffled.

"I'll miss you too," Korra smiled, putting her down. Asami nodded, but hesitated in front of her, playing with the top button of her shirt like she was considering saying something. After a moment of searching Korra's eyes, she looked away before planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "Have a safe trip, Korra," she managed.

"See you later, Korra!" they called, as she ascended the walkway. No more than twenty minutes later, as the ship was pulling away, they found Korra had run up to the deck so she could wave and yell more goodbyes to them.

They waved along with the other families, and as it reached the end of the dock, Asami felt her heartstrings pulled along with it, and the weight of her mistake pushing tears out of her eyes. She shoved her shoes into Mako's hands and ran, red dress and all, to the end of the dock and dove into the water (not southern cold, but still dark and terrifying)- where she hoped if not Korra, then the ocean spirit would hear her hoarse cries.

" _I changed my mind!"_

Opal, tiny but loyal, jumped in after her, hoping to get the message further.


	10. Stolen Currents

Hello! Thank you all for the positive feedback. Here's a little Asami for you, enjoy!

* * *

Asami was seven when her father picked up what was left of his family and moved (her) across the sea to Republic City. He wanted nothing to do with the city itself, except to open his new flagship operation there and be able to retreat to the countryside once the workday was over (where he could plant tall trees against even taller fences to keep out anything and _anyone_ unwanted) and forget all about what he'd left (and lost) in the Fire Nation.

Unfortunately for his daughter, that meant a new school and new people and no one with bright green eyes and a soft smile to greet her when she came home. Her father had retreated into his work, spending most of his time and energy building while she was trapped in her room, attempting to wrap her seven year old brain around what exactly was going on.

He had placed her in a private elementary school that could match the pedigree of the one she'd be taken out of, and there she buried herself in books and anything that she could get her hands on to understand what interested her father (since it was nothing that could be found in their house) in order to get him to hang out with her again- maybe take her to work with him, or even decide she was worth a trip to the beach for ice cream, like they used to do when they were all together.

All of this was to very little avail, as Hiroshi didn't have much of a heart for casual conversation with someone so small who looked so much like his lost wife, and so at nine, Asami decided to take matters into her own hands. She had marched to his office one night after a robotics competition (where they had crushed the local schools team because they seemed less interested in winning and more preoccupied with squealing together and watching things be destroyed) and demanded that once she finished her grade at this private school, she be sent to the regular middle school that was closer to home and the kids that lived nearby, and because she wanted _friends_ , dad, not _competitors_.

Hiroshi also didn't have the heart to deny his brilliant nine-year-old anything she deemed good for her wellbeing (because the spirits knew he and his moping were not) and conceded quite easily.

At ten, she took the bus all by herself to her new school, where, at the ring of the first bell, she was pretty sure she had made a _huge_ mistake (the fact that everyone wasn't wearing the same uniform was sensory overload on its own) and timidly introduced herself to her new class, trying very hard not to throw up. This did not go unnoticed.

"You look like you're gonna throw up," the blue eyed girl she ended up sitting next to told her, an excited expression on her face. "If you do, can you do it in this bag so I can hide it in Tahno's locker later?" And the girl had proceeded to empty her lunch into her backpack, and hand Asami the brown bag, which had a scribbled note on it:

Korra-  
Please chew your food.  
-Love, Mom.

Asami didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the note, but she was swayed to the side of laughter by the expectant grin "Korra" was giving her.

"Sure," she managed, hoping she didn't actually throw up at any point that day. "Just don't tell him it's mine."

* * *

As time went on, she ended up spending more and more time with Korra, less by choice and more because she had become swept up in all of Korra'a antics. She hadn't been able to throw up and give it to Korra like she'd wanted, but she could pick a lock on a middle school locker, which helped Korra place other, less disgusting things into Tahno's. She felt sort of terrible, since she actually didn't know Tahno, but it seemed to please Korra immensely, which was gratifying on its own. It seemed Korra was always up to something or looking for some sort of mischief, and that was how she found that Korra was a force of nature- even if she didn't follow along willingly, the currents from Korra's storm would still take her.

There was the time Korra had convinced her to skip gym (because she had still not found where it was…) and jump the fence into the practice fields where they ate a second lunch, since Korra always had extra. There was also another time Korra had told Asami to stand guard at the edge of the woods surrounding the school while she poked at a bees' nest, because she needed to know if she could run faster than a bee ( _why?_ ) and it was Asami that had to drag her back to the nurses' office with twelve bee stings. She also had Asami teach her how certain instruments worked, so she could remove parts or strings from the ones Tahno would have to play for band, and then put them back after he'd stormed off.

For all their troublemaking, they (Korra) had eventually gotten a stern talking to from Mako (before the principal caught up to them), who had renamed mysterious to Asami up until that point, as he was in the grade above. Korra had always brought him up ( _Mako's gonna have a heart attack if he finds out we did that/ I think I just heard Mako's fun-ruiner alarm go off/ You'll meet Mako one day, but he's always busy not having fun_ ) and she had to admit she was excited at the prospect of having more friends (that were a little less nuts than Korra). Mako was, as Korra said, quiet and a little brooding, clearly taking his 'studies' (if you could call them that in middle school), seriously, since, as she would learn, he wanted to be able to take care of his brother and grandmother when she got older. Asami could understand probably better than anyone his desire to keep his remaining family together at any cost.

She'd met Bolin one afternoon when she'd gathered the courage to ask Mako and Korra if she could accompany them to the neighboring elementary school to pick him up. In retrospect it almost awes her how _small_ he had been (nowhere near the hulking mass he is today) but rather a bright-eyed kid with messy hair in clothes too big for him, who had loved her from the minute he laid eyes on her. He had ignored Mako and Korra in favor of inundating her with questions about her favorite color and her favorite show and her favorite subject and her favorite food (and telling her about all his favorite foods) and how he thought next year Korra's dad was going to make him a surfboard that he could paint and if she wanted to help him think of a design she could since she said she liked art?

Having had fought extremely hard for _any_ affection for the past few years, she was taken aback at how quickly she'd gained favor with three strangers, and how willing she was to give it back. She spent that whole first year going wherever Korra's storm took her, listening and memorizing every word Korra shared with her. She knew about Sokka (who she had a tiny crush on because he reminded her of home) and Naga, the puppy she'd just found, and her parents and her house in the South Pole and her hockey team and her swim team and teaching Bolin to surf and anything else Korra could spew out- and it seemed only _months_ later Korra finally realized she'd been rambling, and gave Asami the chance to speak- and she could only think of one thing. _Thank you_.

"For what?" Korra would ask.

For a million things. Things an eleven year old couldn't really put into words. For talking to her. For taking her in. For giving her a little brother that adored her and a Mako that looked after her. For Korra, who had taken her by the hand and barreled through any obstacles in the way of her confidence, all while showing her how freely she could be living. For giving her a family, and helping her fix her own. After meeting Korra, she always had more to talk to Hiroshi excitedly about, and even if he didn't speak too much, she could tell by his smile he loved seeing her happy (and she was), and he wasn't about to question why. From Korra she learned to take what she wanted, and she found herself eating more ice cream on the beach with him, even if it was just the two of them.

* * *

Eventually, she would tell Korra why she'd been so shy. She had to admit she was a little afraid, since she'd never really told the whole story out loud, and she didn't know how carefree Korra would take such depressing news. She told her about her mother, about how she felt stupid that she was from the Fire Nation but she was sometimes afraid of fire, about her father and how he'd run away from it all, and her fear of being left alone. But Korra seemed to savor anything Asami told her about herself, and in favor of saying anything comforting (because what could a ten year old say on any of those things?) Korra committed everything she said to memory, in an (almost foolish) attempt to make sure Asami never went through any hardship or cried _ever again_ \- a feat only Korra would undertake. And, as they lay in the grass at her house and Korra took her hand and made her silent promises, she knew she'd made the right choice barging into her father's office that night- and that this, in whatever form, was the love she'd been looking for.

Unsurprisingly, Korra was quite successful in her endeavor, and Asami found herself in entering her last year of middle school as the captain of the volleyball team, (Korra had barged into one of their practices when Asami had mentioned wanting to try it and demanded they be nice to her, or she'd deck them, and then Asami ended up being crazy tall and crazy good), founder of the robotics team with a gaggle of friends she could only have ever dreamed of, a boyfriend, Mako- which skyrocketed her into the realm of unattainable girl who only dated older, really attractive guys, a baby brother that made sure everyone in the grades below believed it and worshiped her as well, a best friend that commanded respect for herself and Asami anywhere they went, and a father who had finally noted her prowess in engineering and design, and began to take her to work with him on the weekends.

From then on, everything their group did, they did together. And while Asami still didn't understand how it all had happened, Mako, Bolin and Korra all believed rather simply that she completed their circle. Korra had another girl to talk to, Mako had someone that would be quiet with him, and Bolin had the mothering sister Korra was too wild to be. They would all convene at Korra's house, where her parents would make them dinner and let them watch movies, (anything that kept Korra out of mischief) and Asami found herself falling in love with the warmth she'd managed to find, with the welcome and safety Korra's family provided, and eventually, with Korra herself.

She wasn't entirely sure _when_ it happened but she also was not entirely surprised it did. The hurricane force winds from Korra's storm had broken down all her barriers, the tsunami had swept her away, the earthquake had rocked her foundations and her fire had ignited another one in Asami, which burned just for her. Laying across from her in the grass one night she realized that Korra's arm against hers made her heart flutter, her smile sent the blood rushing to her face and that she never wanted either of those feelings to ever go away. If she had anything close to a keeper it was Korra, and she realized that she wanted to be at the eye of Korra's storm- not being swept away by the current but moving along with it.

* * *

High school was worse. Even though her "relationship" with Mako had ended on extremely amicable terms (because she had realized there wasn't room in her heart for him that way), she found herself on the unfamiliar side of jealousy when Korra and Mako had started dating. Puberty had been excellent to Korra (and herself, if all the paper marriage proposals were anything to go by), and all the sports and general running around Korra did seemed to carve her out of her baby fat into a solid strong totem pole like the ones her people left in the ice- and that everyone wanted to touch. It also didn't help that Korra's eyes seemed to be able to shred you apart like the jagged pieces of ice they must have been made of. But for all her hardness, Korra was always the same bright smile and gentle hands to Asami- and so when they laid next to one another in the grass now, Korra's arm against hers made her insides burn and Asami felt like she would have no problem if Korra rolled on top of her and took what was hers like she always did.

But that never happened. Even though she and Mako burned out quickly, she figured if Korra ever wanted her, she would march right up to her like she'd done to Mako and demanded they go out. But even though Korra always made it seem that Asami was something she wanted, waiting on her to make _that move_ turned out to be fruitless, as Korra got caught up with Wing shortly after (she guessed he could weather a storm). When Opal came into their lives, eventually even Bolin had found the courage to ask her out, likely at Korra's urging to not a be a chicken and make a move.

With every week that passed her heart seemed to ache more from Korra's hesitation and her desires seemed more uncontrollable- there was more that one time she was assigned as Korra's lab partner and rather than perform the experiment, she wondered what it would be like if Korra picked her up and laid her right on top of the chemistry bench. Her heart nearly exploded out of her chest the time she'd caught Korra and Wing making out against the lockers in the field house one afternoon, and it was when she had to stop herself from crying the whole next period she realized that she couldn't be a part of Korra's storm. She had to create her own.

Everything Korra had taught her she put to use, and all the social capital Mako and Bolin had garnered her at school she cashed in on. She had a reputation without having much to repute, and if her father had taught her anything, that was good for business. She remained the first in their class, and in addition to her intellect and athleticism, she learned to move like a whirlwind, captivating people with her good looks and newfound charm and moving on before they had even realized they had fallen to her. Her style ended up being more like a thunderstorm, quick, powerful and confident, but leaving strong reverberations that echoed through the their chests, unlike Korra's complete natural disaster. By mid- junior year she had seventeen proposals for prom, both the junior and senior one, and she had Korra following her like a puppy since it was now Asami that called the shots on what they did and how they did it. She would sometimes wait for Korra outside her swim practice with her fancy car, where, without a word, Korra would immediately split in favor of whatever Asami had planned. She refused to make any moves on Korra this way though, since she probably hadn't realized what was going on, and Asami didn't want to take advantage.

She began teasing Korra endlessly and for once, was the one to fluster _her_ \- but Korra was still not one of her seventeen proposals, and when she was sitting alone at junior prom (not entirely- their whole group was there, and she did have Mako for company…) she decided to put aside her crush (which was honestly, much, much more than that) in favor of something more immediately gratifying, convincing herself she had just been a lovesick teenager pining for her best friend.

* * *

She might not have gone to the junior prom with any of them, but that did not mean that out of the seventeen proposals she couldn't find any candidates for emotional (and sexual) relief. She eventually (based on a complex algorithm of humor, intelligence (split into raw and emotional categories), attractiveness, and openness) narrowed them down to two: there was the president of the debate team, Noatak, and the captain of the lacrosse team, Iroh. As handsome as Noatak was though, he looked eerily similar to Korra (100 points for attractiveness) and she did not think that would work out very well (since she wasn't sure he _was not_ a complete psychopath- he failed the emotional intelligence part of the test horrifically). Iroh however, was sweet and polite (and all of the above) and if she had to be honest, he seemed to be the one that could fuel the fire she was trying to feed, which he ended up doing quite well.

They hung out and flirted all that summer, which she had to admit, felt much better when she knew that person wanted to be with her. Though her game with Korra persisted though her humble beginnings with Iroh (Korra _always_ played back, to the point where they had almost kissed one night during winter break in the coffeehouse) it suffered an abrupt hiatus in their last year of school, somewhere between when Asami told Korra she'd accepted her bid to the most prestigious school in the Fire Nation, and Korra and Kuvira started beating each other up in the bedroom. Asami was simultaneously hurt and turned on by the marks Korra would come to school with- bruises, bleeding lips and deep scratches on her arms- and Korra made no attempt to hide them. It was this that pushed Asami to the tipping point. Korra always gave Asami chase only to end up with someone else- and she was over that.

As she and Iroh began spending more time together, she saw that he was in many ways Korra's antithesis. Though Korra could be proper and polite, she saved that only for special occasions (or special people, like Asami), whereas Iroh did it all the time. He was no storm and was much more hesitant to admit what he wanted, and formal in their interactions (and he always insisted they go out before they do anything further) and Asami had no patience for that. She was not looking to fall in love (part of her kept reminding her she already was, as much as she tried to fight it) and she could not bear the tension of the _two_ of them hesitating around her- so, one night, the thunderstorm arose and she ended their make out session and pulled him into the backseat of the car- and that was that.

She found that Korra was both excited and discomforted by this news, (wow, 'Sami, I didn't know you had it in you/ but _Iroh? really?)_ which was why she found endless enjoyment from Korra's awkward and resentful reactions to everything she did with him. If Korra was going to torture her with scratch marks and ripped clothing, she could torture right back. She made it very clear to Iroh that he was nothing more than a friend with benefits, and he seemed to have no issues with this, and Korra tended not to bring it up.

* * *

When school ended, she and Korra had begun flirting again (Kuvira only managed to keep Korra's attention for a few weeks and/or Korra was terrified she might actually break her nose one night and ended it) and Asami was sure once more that something would surface between them. This time around, though, she was haunted by their three-month deadline. She didn't want to leave without Korra knowing, but as the weeks passed she became even more terrified of what would happen if they did start something, and then she left right after for the Fire Nation. She had very little confidence that she and Korra would last the distance, and was convinced that it would only be a matter of time before Korra moved on to someone new (like she had been able to all these years) and Asami did not want to be just a failed experiment after all her heartache.

Part of her had hoped that she'd forget all about Korra and Iroh would be able to repossess her heart. He did occasionally attempt to get a date out of her, which she found endearing, but she never truly considered it.

That was until two weeks ago, when she thought Korra and Mako were dating again. She had fought the revelation with every fiber of her being, tried not to tear her heart out or _kill_ Korra, but that would be the _third_ time that Korra flirted and smiled and made her heart flutter only to end up with someone else. And it was her last straw. She was going to fucking forget her and her stupid smile and her stupid eyes and her stupid clueless fucking personality and move on- and accept his request for a date.

And _that_ was a week ago, when she realized that Korra was not trying to date Mako, and Korra had finally fucking touched her and told her (at least) with her roaming hands and ragged breaths against Asami's neck that it was _Asami_ she wanted, and all of Asami's emotions flooded back to her in the wave Korra always brought them in. Only this time Korra had been met with an equal and similarly brutal force for once, and as the Southern ship took Korra away, Asami could finally answer her question with absolute certainty. She'd changed her mind. And for good this time.

 _Would you jump back on to a sinking ship for someone?_

Well, now she knew she would jump into the ocean for someone.

But her answer was yes. It didn't matter how long they lasted- two days or two months, whether they sank or swum, or whether one of them died in a tragic boat accident- Korra would be worth whatever pain or heartbreak she caused, and she would _not_ go back to the Fire Nation and to the ashes of her mother and tell her she was too scared to give back the love that had brought her to life.


	11. When You Were Young

Day 7:

Even though leaving the United Republic had come at a (wildly) inconvenient time, (because how am I supposed to steal back my forever girl when Iroh is probably off charming the shit out of her and I can't show her my abs?), Korra could never say she didn't thoroughly love being back in the Southern Tribe. The air was crisp, the snow was crunchy and everything was smooth and windswept (including her hair, maybe she should take a picture and send it, just so Asami remembers how attractive she is), just the way she liked it. She'd always felt confined in the city, but here she could run for miles with only the southern lights guiding her, and that would usually put her soul at ease. Usually.

Right now only thing being in the South was doing for her was the putting all her past stupidity into immediate and very blatant perspective. As a result, she'd been thinking _way_ more than she ever did, so she'd decided to _actually_ run for miles, and had set out into the tundra (with the southern lights guiding her) to her favorite overhanging cliff. She _was not_ going to get fat here moping over things so far away, and who knew, maybe a spirit would reveal itself to her on the cliff's edge and figure all of this out for her.

In her mind the South had always been her home, since it spoke to her on levels she couldn't really explain, but it was becoming very apparent how much she could miss the United Republic, since it currently contained the one and only thing that made it somewhere Korra wanted to be _more_ than the South: Asami Sato. It felt really stupid, because it'd only been a week and she was no pansy, but she wanted desperately to just _see_ Asami- and if she could, bury her face in her hair and hug her really hard and never let go (and hope that her arm strength was better than Iroh's, because _please_ just give me that).

The huge expanse of ocean rumbled before her as she reached her destination. She walked cautiously to its edge to sit and catch her breath, and she squinted a little into the distance, as if somehow she'd still be able to see her friends from here. She thought the run would also make it easier for her to forget her chicken shit efforts back on the United Republic docks, but she could only ask for so much, and it didn't help that most of her thoughts recently led there anyway.

Granted, she had made it further in the pool with Asami than she ever thought possible, but even after that (all the time _in_ the pool, drying off in Varrick's room, walking on the beach together, sitting on the docks together, saying goodbye) she'd had the opportunity to finish what she (they?) had started, and never did. She'd blame it on the slow creep of sobriety, but if she was being honest, she wanted Asami even more when she was sober, (since she could focus on other things besides her attractiveness) and had chickened out every second of every minute they had spent together afterward, second-guessing _everything from the beginning of time_ since she'd be _here_ the next day. Asami had even lingered ( _she had lingered_ ) in front of her before she left to board the ship, and while her lips felt amazing on Korra's cheek, it would have been the simplest thing to just move her face a few inches and sneak a tiny taste of victory.

She'd regretted not doing it the minute the ship had pulled away, and for a split second she thought of jackknifing off the bow, swimming back to Asami, and kissing her until their lips bruised. But she didn't want to give her parents a heart attack (or hit a propeller or something on the way down, that part of _Titanic_ always creeped her out) so she'd settled for lying on the deck in regretful agony as the city lights faded in front of her and she tried to remember how it felt to have Asami's legs wrapped around her. It was insane how not being able to see Asami from where she sat had Korra's heart hurting, and knowing that this would soon be their norm made it hurt even more, and her feelings frustratingly more resolute.

She thought of Mako. Stupid Mako. He'd been right in saying that she needed to tell Asami and for a lot of reasons, (and it had hit her like a ton of bricks just how right he'd been before she'd gone even twenty feet on the ship) but he had somehow also managed to make Asami believe that she and Mako were together, or at least trying to be, which had probably made Asami think that Korra was running away again or keeping secrets, which didn't help her case _at all_. The worst part though, was that she was doing both of those things.

Their sophomore year, Korra had been complaining to Asami almost every day about Mako after school- until one day she and Mako got into the fight to end all fights- and _actually_ called it off. Asami had listened to her vent for hours to keep her from destroying anything in a rage. When she was still angry about it at the end of the week, she'd stayed over Asami's that weekend so she didn't just stew in her room and Asami could make sure she didn't go over Mako's, try to punch him in the face, and give Grandma Yin a heart attack. Asami had been gentle and soothing (just like that the weather night had been) and as they laid in the grass she had pulled Korra close and tried and squeeze out her misery, which had actually made Korra smile, despite her hurt and fury. Eventually, as they lay there, she had felt Asami's hands start dragging though her hair (not entirely gently), and the air go tense between them when Korra lifted her head to question the movement. She realized very quickly how close together they had been cuddling, and how close their faces were. Asami's hand had fallen out of her hair when Korra sat up and was now on her shoulder, and a mixture of her wounded pride and the pulses of desire Asami's fingers were grazing into her, made her fleetingly consider the possibility of angrily fucking Asami right then and there as a rebound (and if any part of her actually assumed it was possible, she would have been correct in that Asami probably would have let her). When the moment came to actually kiss her though, Korra realized she didn't want that at all- not like this and especially not with Asami. When someone kissed Asami (whether it was her or not), she didn't ever want it to be full of spite and anger and weakness, or for reasons other than something _beautiful and perfect_ , and moved away, even more angry with herself for ever thinking it. She would never let herself be the person to hurt Asami, and so after this she pushed any thoughts of Asami away and found her rebound with Wing- who could care less _why_ she was kissing him, only that he got to.

She let that reasoning dictate most of their encounters afterwards. It was why they only flirted to the point where Korra would awkwardly _give up_ , which she never did, and this was eventually compounded by the fact that the time arose when Korra actually _did_ want to kiss Asami (like a _lot_ lot).

It was like one day Asami had just been her friend- a girl she kept happy because she was wonderful and shy and deserved nothing less (and that was simple, Korra knew how to do that)- and the next day it was like Asami had walked up to her and bashed her in the face so hard that all Korra could see anymore was how talented and beautiful and intelligent and tall and elegant and poised and all around _stunning_ she was (a _woman_ who didn't need Korra for protection or happiness or safety anymore and Korra _didn't_ know what to do with that). That woman could have anything and everything she wanted, and there was no way it was Korra, so she kept her mouth shut. Whenever they played then, it felt like Asami was in charge and Korra was just playing catch up- trying to calm her nerves and get her mind out of the gutter and retrieve her confidence from the far recess of her mind it always seemed to creep off to when Asami was around.

Then, one winter, in the same coffeehouse they always went to, they'd been sitting extremely close together on one of the couches, content and full of hot chocolate, watching it snow as some kid played the acoustic guitar in the corner and they laughed and whispered about his heartache (OH HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED) when Asami had given her a _look_. A look like, _if you kissed me right_ now _I'd kiss you back and never stop_ ,and Korra had considered it. She had moved in- because _god freaking damn_ _who wouldn't_ \- and she saw in Asami's eyes that she'd been sitting so close for reasons other than warmth- but Korra's nerves had gotten the best of her. She flashed back to the time she'd almost kissed Asami for all the wrong reasons, and thought maybe this was something similarly as selfish. There was no way Asami actually wanted _her_ \- not that kid that barged into peoples lives and then tore them out of hers when she was done- that had hurt one of her best friends already, and now was going to barrel into Asami's and ruin everything that was perfect? She had promised her better than that. Korra had thought she would have been good with Mako, until they weren't. She and Wing had been fine until Korra decided she was over it. She couldn't give Asami beautiful and perfect. _It was the atmosphere_ , she'd thought, _the snow and the jingles and the fire_ \- it made everyone want to kiss- and even though Asami had looked downright amazing, Korra had laughed and moved away, choosing instead to stare at the strings of the singer kid's guitar.

Then Asami had told her she was off to the Fire Nation- and why wouldn't she? She was talented and beautiful and intelligent and tall and elegant and poised and all around _stunning_ , and didn't need Korra to for any of that, so she placed any thoughts of Asami away again and found her relief with Kuvira- who was angry and rough, and would probably just punch Korra if she messed it up, which she could take.

Then, staring into Asami's eyes in the pool, she saw the same look she'd gotten before except this time it was far less polite and more of a command- f _ucking kiss me right now or I will drown you_ \- and the alcohol had stopped her from second guessing or worrying. When they split however, she had no one to run away to and kiss instead, and seeing Asami like that (in her lingerie, taking what she wanted) made it very clear that Korra was not afraid of hurting Asami anymore (Asami was no longer that girl). She was afraid of Asami hurting _her_.

And now Mako was telling her to do the last thing she could do in that situation: _Go with the flow_. She was accustomed to being in control and it was very clear she _wasn't_ in control anymore. She was officially a _schoolboy bitch_ , and she had no one to blame for her heartache but herself.

So here she was. Figuring it out. All the freedom and the blankness and space she'd been so fond of before made it very hard to run or keep secrets. Mr. Zuko had said things would work themselves out. Everyone in her family was always "going with the flow". Even Asami's mother had said life came in waves, which was basically her saying the same thing, right? So why the fuck couldn't she do it?

Minutes passed, and she groaned when no spirit came to her with the answers. So she sat some more, feeling the ocean crash into the ice beneath her and send rumbles through the cliff. Another wave, another rumble.

She realized suddenly that _going with the flow_ could very well mean letting the waves rip her to pieces because you just couldn't fight them. She was a surfer, she knew that. Sometimes you'd fall in, and you'd have to let it rough you up as it passed over you before you could reach the surface, which was always scary. She had been going with the flow when she'd let herself fall for Asami, so much so that she didn't even know it had happened until it was too late. Maybe it was time she stopped fighting and let herself be thrown against the icy cliffs- and she had to admit that thought terrified her. She'd been fighting Asami's wave this whole time, and fighting had only gotten her here, angry on this rock. It had pushed Asami towards Iroh - someone charming and kind and open, who'd let the wave pass through, because Asami had just been hitting a wall with Korra. It was her fault!

She had been running- something that felt so unlike her that it made her mad. The self-propagated spiral of regret she'd put herself in and the hurt she had probably caused Asami anyway just because she couldn't admit she was afraid it was really wow, _my GOD Korra, what have you been doing?_ Who _are_ you? Are you _serious?_ Are you really some _schoolboy bitch_? Is this for _real_? It took you _this_ long just to figure that out? Sulking really is NOT your thing. If this was "What Not to Wear" it would be your ugliest goddamn sweater with boogers and holes in it that you do NOT wear well and you need to THROW THE FUCK OUT and GET. IT. TOGETHER.

She got up, and began her sprint home, fueled by her revelation and mentally preparing herself to be destroyed. She would have to get Mako a police gift basket. It only took her years to fucking realize what he figured out in a week. It might just be the cold talking, but Korra of the Southern Water Tribe wasn't hard to kill, and if not fighting was what she had to do to get what she wanted in the end, she would do it (she'd lost the game in the pool, and look how well that had turned out!)

Life comes in waves, and she was going to fucking surf.

* * *

Day 10:

From: captainlax

To: whatsanavatar

Subject: Hello

Hey,

I heard you met my grandpa the other morning at the pool; he gave me your e-mail address and asked me to say hello to the pretty water tribe girl that works there, which must mean this has to be Korra!

First of all, sorry about him, he can get pretty intense about his grandchildren, which I guess all grandparents are. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was dating Asami, because he loves you so much, so let's keep that between us! Lol. We are actually going to dinner tonight at Kwong's, which she probably already told you, but I'm pretty excited about it. She is really amazing. And you probably knew that too.

Second of all, he told me you got a scholarship to swim at RCU- congratulations, that's awesome! A good friend of mine from the team will be studying there as well, so maybe you guys could hang out! I was considering studying there until the United Forces Academy offered me to play for them too.

Are you excited about heading off to the city and being a freshman again? I for one, am not.

-Iroh

IROH.

 _Iroh_ was Mr. Zuko's grandson that Mr. Zuko raved about and thought they would be amazing together and that they should have a bunch of babies and _oh my god, just fucking kill me_. There is a reason Korra never goes on this email, because it only ever has stupid, dumb, spam garbage on it, and now _this_.

She knew exactly how to reply:

No, _Iroh_ , Asami didn't tell me you were going to Kwong's which is fancy as shit and I'm sure it is going to be amazing because yes, Asami is amazing and I did know that and I also know she doesn't do anything half assed which, I'm sure, now includes _dating you_ and the _military academy? Really?_ You couldn't cut this simple water tribe girl _any_ slack and just go to like, _regular_ college and not the _military academy?_ I could have at least given you a run for your money if I qualified for the Olympics in Ba Sing Se in the next two years, but now I have to grow a pair of fucking _gills_ and win about twenty-two gold medals so that I can be as _decorated_ as you probably will be in your wildly successful military career, and then I'd still have to become president of the goddamn _world_ so I can order you to the fucking moon because that is the only place you will not have conquered everything and I can finally at _ninety- fucking- three_ tell Asami that I'm in love with her which _still_ won't be good enough somehow cause you probably would have started a beautiful Fire Nation space colony that is all anyone will ever talk about!

And no, I am not excited to be a freshman again, thank you for asking!

-Korra

P.S. This. Is. War.

Yeah, that sounds about right. She hadn't sent it yet- she figured she'd sleep on it and then see if maybe she had anything to add. As if she didn't have enough to think about, she was currently back at her parents cabin after they'd spent the morning preparing it for a family get together:

1\. Stewing over how much she hated email;

2\. Stewing over how much she hated how romantic Kwong's was;

3\. Considering joining the military;

4\. Wondering how the date went;

5\. Deciding if maybe she started a civil war somewhere that required the United Forces, Iroh would be gone long enough for Korra to swoop in;

6\. How she was going to tell Asami she'd realized her fears without breaking down into a sniveling emotional rambling mess;

7\. Oh god, why was she such a sniveling emotional rambling mess;

which continued while her entire family enjoyed the boisterous party around her.

Her father was regaling his old military friends with a tale of the fishing-turned-hunting trip they'd gone on not two days ago, where Korra had wrestled a seal that had jumped through their ice fishing hole and he had speared it (they were currently feasting on it). Her mother was busy at the fire with the other aunties arguing over the spices they would use for the jerky, and she and her cousins were caught up in an old card game they always played that would probably end up in a fight. Everyone was in high spirits and full of spirits, including Korra, which only made her hypothetical love confessions to Asami even more ridiculous.

"It's your turn, Kor," her cousin Desna said, nudging her and pulling her out of her reverie.

"Oh," she checked the pile of cards and tried to remember her hand, before picking up a new one.

"Everything okay with you cousin?" he asked. "You haven't tried to wrestle any of us yet," he joked.

"Maybe because I'm a responsible adult now, Dezzy," she played, "But I'm not above slapping the shit out of you if I win this round."

"You're not going to, because this hand is mine," Eska chimed in, revealing her hand.

"Shit," Korra realized she hadn't been paying attention to anything she had been doing again and had come in dead last again. She was going to get slapped. Again. But daydreaming about kissing Asami was worth it so…

"Before I humiliate you, I demand you drink this," Eska said, pointing to the bottle of the clear spirit they had all been shooting. "Because I will show no mercy." She passed it to Desna, who couldn't stop laughing at Korra's pained expression, before he handed it to Korra.

"You better take a nice big swig, cuz," Desna laughed, before pointing to his own face. It was already swollen with a big bruise in the shape of Eska's hand forming on top of it. "I need some just to be able to watch what she's going to do to you."

"Stand!" Eska demanded, as Korra put the bottle down.

Korra stood reluctantly. Eska had already won multiple rounds and had slapped Korra once and Desna twice. (Was it just her, or did this game seem way more fun when they were younger and couldn't hit as hard?) They had only begun drinking in order to be able to numb the pain that came with each hit. The sting of the last slap she took was _still_ haunting her. And she didn't want her face to end up like Desna's. She took a deep breath, and stared Eska right in the eye.

"Ready?" Eska asked.

"Yes! No! Wait!" She shook her head, roaring, trying to pump herself up. "Okay, okay. Deep breaths, Korra. Okay."

She didn't receive any more warning before Eska's hand came flying at her, and the whole house heard the echo of her palm on Korra's cheek. The same cheek as last time. Tears sprung from her face immediately, and she stood still for a second squeezing her eyes closed, trying not to cry.

"Are you guys sure you shouldn't change that rule?" her uncle laughed from across the room, taking in Korra's obvious pain.

"No, father, it is how we assert dominance over one another," Desna laughed. "Korra's just been out of practice."

She had finally recovered enough to open her eyes, and holy fuck did it sting. It stung so badly! She jumped up and down on each foot for a minute before realizing it was not going to get better on its own, and ran out the back door and into the tundra to bury her face in the snow outside. ( _Why did she have to hit the same fucking side?_ ) She let out the tears she'd been holding back, cursing Eska and her rough, callous, giant brick hands. _Fuck!_

The snow ended up being much more effective at numbing the pain than the liquor had been, and she eventually resigned to just lay there for a minute as she basked in the cold. If she were being honest, she probably would end up like this more often than not if she kept spacing out for fake makeouts during the game- and eventually have to endure the ridicule of giving up.

She eventually rolled over and onto her back, holding a small patch of ice to her face, so she could face the sky. If she was going to be out here, she might as well take in the southern lights, and pretend Asami was lying next to her, like she would be of she were home. She watched them dance against the blue for a while before boots crunching in the snow interrupted her.

"Everything okay out here, nanuk?" It was her aunt, Kya.

She sat up. Most of the ice in her hand had already melted from all the heat her face was radiating. "Yeah," she answered. " Eska got me really good though- she hit the same side! It's probably going to hurt for days," she groaned in realization.

Kya took Korra's head in her hands and inspected the bruise.

"Looks like it," she laughed. "Put some more ice on it, we wouldn't want you to look like a chipmunk for all the family photos! And put on this coat!"

Korra groaned and scooped another block out of the snow, collapsing back down on the ground into the parka Kya had given her. Kya seemed to sense her sulkiness, and settled herself down on an icy "bench" in the "yard" before asking her how she was doing.

Korra adjusted the ice on her face so she could speak. "Fine, just out of practice."

"I can tell. Everyone can tell," Kya laughed back.

"You guys! I'll go back there, I'm not chickening out! I'll finish the game," Korra insisted.

Kya laughed again. "Are you convincing me or yourself?"

"What? I don't need to convince you of anything," Korra started.

Kya smiled. "No. I'm already convinced."

Korra was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You can't fool me, Korra. And I'd be surprised if you fooled anybody in there either."

Korra sat up. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ , I've been in love before. And your giant heart is weighing down more than just your sleeve," Kya said, motioning up and down.

"There's no way it's that obvious!" Korra insisted. "I mean I know I'm obvious a lot of the time, but…no way,"

"You've been distracted the whole time you've been here! And you just got hit in the face and ran outside like a little baby."

"What does that have to do with me being in love?" Korra scoffed, crossing her arms and pouting in the snow.

"Just means that whoever it is, is like kryptonite," Kya laughed. "Whenever you think about them, you get all sulky and weak and can't lift heavy things anymore-

"I'm not weak!" Korra insisted.

"Oh please, _spill it!_ I didn't come all the way out here to not solve the mystery!"

"I thought you came to make sure I was alright, _doctor?_ " Korra asked.

"That was only part of it, the other part is me wanting to know what or who changed our big strong Korra into a little baby penguin!"

"I'm not a baby penguin!" Korra sulked, looking very much like one in the oversized coat. "I wrestled a giant seal! And then I ate it."

"From what your father said, the seal got a few good whacks in on you before your dad could get it," Kya grinned, clearly enjoying shredding Korra's pride.

She groaned. "That probably explains why Eska's _man hands_ hurt more than they usually do, I was already compromised!"

"Whatever you say," Kya laughed. "So come on, who is it?"

"No one," Korra said quickly, (and it was uncanny how as soon as the words had come out, Korra hated that she had just referred to Asami that way, because really, she was the opposite).

Kya only looked at her expectantly.

"A friend," Korra clarified (better). Kya's gaze did not waver.

"Fine! My _best friend_ ," she relented, falling back into the snow, pulling the hood of the parka far over her face. How many people was she going to have to tell before she could tell Asami herself!?

" _Asami!?_ " Kya beamed, leaning over Korra and slapping at her hands covering her face. "Shut _up_! She is beautiful, it's about time you noticed!"

"I always noticed," Korra grumbled from under her hood.

"Oh yeah?" Kya grinned back, still relishing in Korra's pain and poking at her. "So how come it's only bothering you now?"

"Do we have to discuss this? Isn't it enough you know who?"

"I'm _never_ going to leave you alone now!" Kya cackled.

"Ugh, you know you're the aunt every kid never wants to run into at family reunions because they ask too many questions, right?"

"Hey, you're the one that's terrible at keeping secrets, I'm just doing routine annoying aunt due diligence."

Korra groaned again, finally removing the hood from over her face. " _Fine._ What do you want to know?"

"Have you smooched?"

"Really?"

"I stand by it."

"No."

" _What!_ Korra, you're crazy, people would give an arm and a leg-"

"I know that! It's not that easy, okay!"

"Does she know she makes you all sulky?"

"No, and that's probably why the former has not happed."

"At least you've figured that out."

"Hey!"

"Just saying. Love doesn't seem to be your strong suit," Kya pointed out. "You're rolling around in the snow hoping the cold puts you out of your misery."

"We'll I've never been in it before, so I don't have much to go on, here," Korra confessed.

Kya frowned. She knew all about Korra's history- Korra wasn't kidding. She really did ask a lot of questions. "What about Mako?"

Korra groaned. "I dunno, I did love him, but I already loved him as a friend and then we were just kind of crazy together, we were like fifteen! It's nothing like how I feel now. About her."

"How _do_ you feel about her?"

Well, she had given that one a lot of thought. She had probably thought up hundreds of scenarios and hundreds of ways she could tell Asami how she felt. Why she felt it. What would Asami want to know? What was important? What wasn't? What would she have time for? She and Mako had only really decided that she should know, and they had gone undercover and tried every other way besides outright saying it. Asami had to know at least Korra wanted to kiss her, right? She knew now she was scared of how Asami made her feel. Scared of trying to tell her, and saying it wrong. Scared of losing her to either stupidity or to the Fire Nation. Scared it wouldn't be enough to deter her from Iroh, President of the Moon. For someone who had never been scared of anything in her life, it was a lot to come to terms with at once.

"A lot of things," Korra confessed. "It feels like… she's the only thing I think about. All the time. I don't even try not to anymore. And lately, I dunno. I just- I need her to know that, somehow? I guess?"

Kya seemed to finally give up on her teasing, and nodded supportively. "We'll it sounds like she should," she agreed. "You're getting beat up left and right from just thinking about her too much."

Korra scowled. "That's what everyone says. And I want to tell her. _I'm going to_. But I'm afraid to. Whenever I'm with Asami, I freeze. I just, I see her and all those stupid feelings just ruin it," Korra rambled.

"I don't think the feelings are ruining, _per se_. They're just giving your words more weight than they've had before. It's not an easy thing to tell someone you love them. Especially a best friend. There's already love there, and its hard to be the one that wants to change that."

"Yeah, I'm kind of realizing that the hard way," Korra mumbled, playing making shapes in the snow with her finger. "She's also going away. To the Fire Nation. I think- I just don't want her go there and resent me if she doesn't want the same thing."

"I think you're far too young to be worrying about things like that," Kya smiled. "But it's obvious you care very deeply about her."

"I do! But what if she goes to the Fire Nation and our last conversation is me fucking up!" Korra whined. "Just put me out of my misery. I should have just let the seal do it!"

"Wow Korra, I kind of want to call Asami and tell her myself she's making you unbearably whiny," Kya said. "It's either that or the liquor."

"Just let me be whiny for once, okay!" Korra pouted, before falling back into the snow. Fear really made her unrecognizable.

Kya relented again, realizing Korra may not have just been being overly dramatic, and was truly worried. "Do you want to know what my father told me when my wife died?" she offered.

"Uncle Aang?" Korra asked, muffled through her coat.

"Yes."

It would be impolite to say no. "…What?"

"Well, I cried for weeks once she was gone," Kya started. "I just didn't know how to cope. She was my best friend, too. Eventually I ended up just being angry for a long time. I hated her for leaving, hated the sickness that took her, hated the future it stole from us, hated the distance the spirits had put between us. Heck, I even hated the spirits for a while there too."

"You seem happy now, though," Korra said cautiously.

"Well, it was a long time ago. Plus, when dad heard me cursing the spirits one day, he took me outside and made me look up." Kya pointed to the sky.

"The southern lights?" Korra asked, sitting up again.

"Mhmm. He made me watch them, until I calmed down. Then he asked me how I could possibly hate spirits that danced so beautifully," Kya smiled, remembering.

Korra looked up. She didn't think she could ever be mad looking at those lights.

"What did you say to him?"

"Nothing," Kya chuckled. "I knew he was right. That it wasn't the spirits fault. But he said maybe now that she was gone, it wasn't a reason to be angry. Maybe it was just an opportunity to see us differently."

"Differently?"

Kya nodded. "He told me to think of us as the sun and moon. You know it, right?"

Korra nodded. "Mostly," she sniffled.

"You know the sun and moon had been lovers together in the sky. One day they had the earth, and they realized that he could only grow if they were apart. The sun had to tend to the land and the moon had to tend to the sea, and they couldn't do it at the same time. So they split. Then, when the earth grew large enough and realized what they had done for him, he took the spirits they had made together and lifted them into the sky, where they could dance, and the sun and moon could be connected again, even though they were apart."

Korra seemed to think it over.

"There may be a distance between you when Asami leaves- like there is now," Kya continued. "But does being here stop you from loving her, all the way in Republic City? Does it make you feel any less connected to her? When you look up at those lights, are they dancing for anyone besides her?"

She looked up. "No."

"I can't tell you how to love Asami, or how to tell her you love her," Kya reasoned. "But don't ever think a little space between you is any reason to stop."

Korra smiled. "I gotta be honest, I wasn't expecting all that out of you tonight."

"I know it's a lot," Kya confessed. "That's why I prefer to be the one asking the questions, which by the way, I have _plenty_ more of!"

"No, it was exactly what I needed," Korra admitted. She took one last look up at the sky and shed her coat. "No more questions though! It's cold, and I've got a war to win," she smirked.

She would also need to have a talk with her father later about how he told their epic hunting stories.


	12. Sugar, We're Going Down

Asami sat in the intern office at Future Industries Tower (she refused to accept special treatment until she at least had a degree), flipping through the file the in-house accountants had just provided for their quarterly report. They had just briefed her on all its contents at the afternoon meeting, but she had to look it over herself to believe it. Future Industries had made more this quarter than they ever had, and that was after adjusting for costs and the significant amount Asami had her father donate to local charities. Her father would be ecstatic, if he wasn't already. It seemed his confidence in her was well founded (if she could say so herself…) and she could breathe easier knowing his investment in her had been worth it. She promised herself she would pay him back by making sure what he'd built for their family stayed strong.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a soft knock on the door, before a figure in green peeked in "Am I interrupting?" he questioned.

"Hey, Bolin," she greeted, looking up from her file. "And no, you're just in time." She closed the folder and pushed it across her desk. It seemed, for once, she didn't have anything pressing to worry about (at work anyway…she still had that whole _other_ thing to panic about).

"Great," he said, entering the office fully. He walked over to the chair in front of her desk, and plopped down. "'Cause I'm starving. We going anywhere for dinner today?" he asked.

"How about the bar across the street?" she asked him. "Since you're allowed in now. My treat."

"It's always your treat," he laughed, removing his mechanic jacket and setting it on the chair next to him. "Besides, what's the occasion?"

"Well I thought the accounting meeting today would run much later," she confessed. "They usually do. Preparing those quarterly reports are always a disaster. This time though…"

"You kept their asses in line?" Bolin laughed, pointing at her.

She grinned. "What can I say?"

"Well that's a good enough reason as any, we can also celebrate me changing my first transmission! They let me work in the shop today!"

"Dad told them you were ready," Asami said, smiling at his excitement. "And that you like lifting heavy things better than numbers."

"Your dad was very right. I think I enjoyed that part the most! It's like getting paid to work on your guns!"

"Except you're not getting paid?" Asami laughed, standing.

"No, but I do get to hang out with you, so I guess its worth it," he winked.

"Please, if Opal was still here you would have ditched me every day this week," she said, collecting her jacket.

"I'm hurt that you would think that," he pouted. "Even though it is very true. You make me sound like a bad friend!" he whined.

"You are, now let's go!" she urged, throwing his coat back at him and shutting off the lights in the office.

Bolin rushed though the door after her. "Hey! Maybe we can call Mako and see if he wants to meet us once he's off his shift!"

"Sure, just make sure he knows he's driving us home, then."

* * *

For someone who just turned old enough to drink, Bolin could definitely hold his liquor. Asami had a running theory which combined his size with the fact that he'd probably joined them at enough parties when he was younger to know how to handle himself, but she was not completely sure yet. She was watching him as he finished his third beer (while she was still sipping on her first red wine), and was seemingly _unfazed_ , when their food finally came. That reminded her to add a part three to her theory, that Bolin was always eating enough for a small country, so there was probably always something in his stomach to keep him sober.

They chatted for a while on work, (there was never a shortage of things to talk about with Bolin) how Bolin felt that the workshop and might be the place he wanted to be (he wasn't much for lame meetings or paperwork, but he had also shown some promise in design and building, which made her endlessly proud). They talked about Opal, and how she only had a few more weeks at her grandparents' before she was back for good (and he could not wait- they could not have kissed enough in the four days she had been home to make up for the weeks that she was going to be away, and he was really upset about it) and he was counting down the days until they could make out some more. This led Bolin nicely into what he really wanted to talk about.

"So…think you'll be making out with anyone soon?" he grinned though his burger.

"What do you mean?" she asked confused, as she nibbled on his fries.

He leaned in. "I meaaaan are you going to be putting _your lips_ on _someone else's lips_ in a hot display of affection-"

"Bolin! Shutup- of course! I mean, I have a boyfriend."

"Oh, yeah, _I know_ , and _you know_ that is not the someone I mean-"

"I know it isn't!" she exclaimed, slapping his arm. Not that they hadn't talked about it before, but it all seemed more _scandalous_ now, when they were in public talking so candidly about kissing someone that wasn't the person she was dating…

"Soo…are you!?" he asked.

"Yes…no! I don't know! I mean, I'd have to leave Iroh-"

"So get rid of him already!"

She looked at him unamused. "It is not that simple, Bo."

"You know what Grandma Yin used to tell me and Mako all the time when we couldn't figure math problems out?" He cleared his throat, put down his burger and put on his best high-pitched imitation of Grandma Yin (even though her voice is not high pitched). "Everything is simpler than you think, and at the same time more complex than you can imagine!"

"That means she thinks things _aren't_ simple, Bo," Asami argued. "That's probably why you came to me for math homework help after that."

"No, that means she thinks they are simple!" he defended.

"You just said, ' _everything is more complex'_!"

"I also said everything is _simple_."

"You ignored the entire second half of what she told you!"

"I thought that was the point!"

"No!"

"Where's Korra, she could settle this for us!" He looked around the bar as if Korra would materialize there from just the mention of her name.

"How about no, since she's the topic of the _complex_ discussion we're having," Asami groans.

"It's not complicated at all 'Sami. You like Korra, you want to make out with Korra, and you don't like Iroh!"

Asami's face turned into a slight grimace. "That's not entirely true…"

His eyes went wide. "What! I _saw_ you almost get hot and heavy in the pool!"

"Jeez, Bolin, so did like a hundred other people- and yeah, _almost_. That doesn't mean I don't have feelings for Iroh, or that I could just drop him in the nearest garbage can and forget about him! He's a person! We have history!"

"Ugh, god, history is like my worst subject. Can we go back to the Grandma Yin thing? You think maybe she just tried to confuse us cause she didn't know math?"

"Bolin! Ugh, maybe we can just ask Mako when he gets here?"

"Fine," he agreed. "So you have feelings for Iroh."

She finishes her wine in one large gulp.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"And you have feelings for Korra."

She nodded.

"So we may or may not have a problem," he finished.

"Yep," Asami nodded again, before noticing she couldn't distract herself with wine anymore. "Another round?"

"I won't say no to that," Bolin shrugged, chugging his beer.

They were silent as the waitress came by and took their glasses and Asami motioned for two more. When she returned with his beer, Bolin drank about half of it before he spoke again.

"So…who do you like more?"

Asami fiddled with her glass. "It's not really a question of who I like more," she started. "You know its her-"

"Oh thank god-"

"Bo!"

"Sorry, sorry. Continue."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I may not have brought him around a lot, but Iroh has been great to me. I do like him, and I do care about him. Which makes me getting his hopes up for a relationship to just take it all back in the span of two weeks is _so awful_ of me! He would hate me!"

"I thought you said you wanted Korra to know how you feel?"

"I do, just okay, bear with me," she sits up, making sure she's got his full attention. "It might be ridiculous, but is there a way I can stay with Iroh, tell her how I feel, and then if it _doesn't_ all explode in my face I can break up with him?"

Bolin considered her proposal with his hand on his chin. "I don't think Korra would like that very much if she likes you back… _that_ might explode in your face instead!" he realized. "Can you imagine?" He clears his throat again, puts down his beer and puts on his best imitation of Korra and Asami with two talking fries:

 _Man voice:_ "Hey Korra I like you a lot and I think you're super sexy!"

 _Woman voice:_ "Oh my gosh Asami, I like you too, and I think you're even sexier! Let's bang!"

 _Man voice_ : "Oh, gee Korra, I'd love to but I have a boyfriend!"

 _Woman voice_ : "You mean you're still getting hot with Iroh?"

 _Man voice_ : "Yes, but I don't really want to be- it's all very complex!"

 _Woman voice_ : "Just forget it!"

"Okay, I get it! It was just stupid hopeful thinking, anyway," Asami groans, rubbing her eyes. "And why do I sound like a man?"

"Artistic license!"

"I'll try not to take offense."

"Don't, I do it to everyone!"

"Korra and Grandma Yin didn't sound like men."

"I needed contrast, Asami, come on. Also, Mako once told me ending a relationship is kind of like pulling off a blood-sucking leech. You just gotta rip it off and get it over with! Even if it hurts."

Asami scoffed. "Oh? And since when is Mako such a beacon of knowledge? That might just be something else you guys misinterpreted from Grandma Yin!"

"No! That one's right. I mean, it worked with Eska, didn't it?"

"That was you pulling off a leech?" Asami questioned. It had taken Bolin months to get rid of Eska, even though they were _majorly_ long distance.

"She was more like thirty-seven leeches. By the time I got one off, there was another one somewhere else," he motioned wildly in the air. "But whatever- that's over! Won't it be worth it for you?"

"Only if she feels the same way," she sighed. "And when it comes to her, I just…I always have this feeling like I'm going to get hurt!"

"So a fake-lationship and harboring secrets from your best friend is a surefire way to _not_ get hurt?" Bolin sassed.

She threw him a sideways glance. "I'm going to go ahead and say you get your flawless logic from me."

"Absolutely," he laughed. "So think if it as taking your own advice! Since when do Sato's settle for anything second rate? And, really, are these really your best suggestions for the most momentous occasion of your life?"

"Of course not! These are my foolish " _I want Bolin to make me feel better suggestions_ " but obviously I have thought about it far more extensively." She reached into her purse and handed him a piece of carefully folded paper. "Take a look," she said, before quickly pulling it out of his reach. "But you can't make fun of me," she added seriously.

"I won't," he promised, as he carefully took and unfolded the paper, looking down at the title: _Asami's Feelings Web._

A giant, shit-eating grin covered his face. "You drew a _web_ of your feelings and the related topics and consequences?" he teased. "Is this what you've been doing in your spare time?"

"Do you know me at all Bolin?" she questioned seriously. Making charts was her superpower.

"Of course I do! And the Asami I know would have used a pro's and con's list!" he laughed.

"Hey! It started off as one and it turned out to be way more complicated than that, hence, the web," she motioned to the paper.

"So as much as I want to read this," Bolin started, "I just need to know. Who's going to get trapped in the web?"

She rolled her eyes. "Please tell me that's going to be your first and last spider related joke tonight."

"I will make no such promises."

"Ugh. I knew I shouldn't have showed you!" she went to snatch the paper back out of his hands.

"No! Wait! I won't, just let me see!" he studied the paper and attempted to follow the path of her emotions. "You have woven yourself quite the complicated web here, Miss Sato."

"I know," she pouted. "And all because I was impulsive and stupid for one day- ugh. It works for Korra all the time and the _one time_ I do it, it backfires!"

"I mean, it seems to me you've already come to a conclusion," he pointed out on the web.

He was right. She just needed to ask him, her confidant-while-Korra-is-away-and-you're-in-love-with-her, to know if she had any other options than the most obvious one. She was just feeling out her options, and for good reason. She couldn't move forward without knowing if there was a better, _less painful_ pathway. It was in her nature. But she guessed, the point of jumping off a ship was that you didn't think, right?

"Yeah," she sighed. "Just don't say anything to Mako yet, I know he and Korra talk and I just, I want to tell her myself, okay?"

"My lips are sealed!" he promised, zipping them up. "Oh look, he's here!" he pointed at the detective entering through the front doors. _Then it hit him. Mako and Korra talk_.

Asami looked behind her shoulder, to see Mako waving at them. "Great, now can I go to the bathroom?" she questioned (Bolin hated being left alone at a table, it made him feel self-conscious and friendless).

"Sure," he motioned quickly, shooing her away from the table. "I have a boy thing to talk to Mako about anyway."

"A boy thing?"

"Do you have to pee or not?"

She shrugged her shoulders and moved headed off to the back. Once she was away, he peeked at her feelings web once more- specifically to the box stemming from the " _Tell Korra_ " circle: Where isn't awkward? How to get her alone? And the box from the " _Tell Iroh_ " circle: When?

He could help with that. Dai-Li Bolin: Activate.

"Hey Bro!" he greeted, folding up the paper and stuffing it in his pocket. He would keep it and add it to Korra and Asami's wedding scrapbook, because he had this one _in the bag_.

"Hey Bo," Mako greeted, shrugging off his coat. "Where'd Asami go?"

"Bathroom." He answered quickly. "How was work?"

"Fine, Beifong was out on surveillance all day, so it was like I was in charge! Or I pretended to, anyway-"

"That's great, bro," Bolin interrupted. "Do you want to see Korra and Asami make out in a pool?"

"Do I _what_?" Mako spluttered, thrown off. "What the heck do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Bolin whispered, looking around for Asami. "I was there. You freaked when Wu ran outside, _just like I did_."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You may be the detective, Mako, but you're a terrible liar! Did Korra put you up to it? She wanted to be alone with Asami, and she had you make sure no one interrupted-"

"She didn't put me up to anything!"

"So you volunteered."

"Bo."

"Mako. I swear. You have two seconds before Asami comes back here and I renounce you as a brother. Korra likes Asami, doesn't she?"

"Uh, what, uh, I don't-"

"That's what you've been talking about all this time that you hang out!"

"What!"

Bolin only glared.

"Okay, fine- _yes_ \- but Bo-"

Bolin had already leapt out of his chair and was fist pumping into the air. "Yes! Mako!" He grabbed his brother by the shoulders. "We are witnessing _history_ right now."

"History? Wait…does Asami…?"

"YES!"

"Get outta town!"

"NO!"

"How do you-"

"Shutup, it doesn't matter, here she comes. Talk about Korra. The rest of tonight. I don't care how you do it."

"Bolin!"

"And don't tell Korra!"

"Hey, Mako!" Asami greeted. Mako was already sweating through his undershirt at from being put on the spot so suddenly.

"Hey, Asami! You look nice! How was work!" he laughed nervously, as if she could see straight through his skull to the giant neon sign that was flashing in his brain: KORRALIKESUTOO

"Thanks," she smiled. "It was good, we both had pretty productive days," she said, motioning to Bolin who was grinning in his chair, nodding furiously.

"It was so good," he agreed. "So good in fact, I think it means we both need another drink!" He pointed to Asami's empty wine glass, and his finished beer. "Since Mako's driving us home and all."

Mako seemed to finally come to his senses. "Oh, sure!" he agreed as he motioned the waitress over.

* * *

Two wines and a bunch of small talk about Chief Beifong later (and at Bolin's subtle encouragement), Mako finally made his move.

"So…Korra's coming home in five days!" he tried. Bolin kicked him under the table. (You can do better than that bro). "Are you excited, Asami?"

"Excited? Of course! We rarely ever spent two whole weeks apart. It's kinda strange," she admitted. Korra had gone South while they were friends before, but not under these particular circumstances. All she wanted was for Korra to come home. To her.

"We skyped the other day," Mako said. "Just for like, a second," he added at Asami's face (Korra hadn't skyped Asami, for, well, obvious reasons to them. Maybe not so obvious to Asami). Bolin egged him on.

"How was she?" Asami asked. (We haven't really talked since our encounter, maybe she doesn't know what to say?)

"Good, she just went hunting with her dad and got beat up by a giant seal," Mako laughed.

Asami smiled. That was her Korra.

"She also didn't shutup about how much she missed you," Mako smirked. Bolin almost fell out of his chair.

"Really?" Asami seemed genuinely surprised.

"Really," Mako laughed. "She probably said it a hundred times in the ten minutes we talked. It was like talking to a sad little puppy."

"Korra would make a great puppy," Bolin pointed out.

"She would," Asami laughed. "But she would never let me see her like that! What do you have that I don't, Mako?"

Mako resisted the urge to cheese out and list all the good things Korra had told him about Asami over the past few weeks. "Nothing, she just loves you a lot, you know?" he said. "Probably afraid you'd make fun of her if you knew," he added nonchalantly, sipping at his cucumber aloe water.

"No I wouldn't!" Asami insisted. "I'm super nice, all the time!"

"You should probably tell her first," Bolin said quickly. "She probably thinks you like Iroh more than her," he added.

"Shutup, Bolin," she seethed, as if Mako hadn't heard.

"Do you?" Mako asked.

"Do I what?" she asked.

"Like Iroh more than her? Is he your new best friend?" Mako pushed, trying to hide his smile (he felt really terrible, since he knew Asami was a little flustered, but it was working).

"What kind of question is that!" she sputtered. "Of course not! They're totally different!"

"Are they?" Mako asked. "She seems to think you're replacing her with Iroh, since you guys don't talk as much now that you and Iroh are a thing," (which wasn't entirely false, when you were hiding huge secrets like they were there was bound to be some breakdown in communication). "Its probably why she tells me all the things she'd usually tell you."

"All the things? Mako, did she really say that?" Asami seemed stricken that her secret had pushed her best friend away (in her defense, Korra never asked about Iroh, and Korra's secret had done the same) and it was unacceptable.

"I don't think its that bad," Mako told her. "I just think you guys should talk is all. Right Bo?"

Bolin was furiously typing on his phone. "Yeah, of course!" he added looking up. He showed the screen to Mako and Asami. "There's a concert in the city for this band I _really_ like the night after Korra comes home! We should go!" he insisted. "You could talk there!" he nudged Asami. "It's perfect!"

"I hate you Bo," she said through her teeth. "But sure, I'll ask her. It would be fun, right?" (Fun as in, maybe she could finish her unfinished business there).

"They're the best," Bolin assured. "Can I borrow your phone really quick, 'Sami, mines dying I want to make sure there are tickets left!" She handed it over reluctantly.

"Yeah!" Mako said. "You should buy them. Let me just make sure I have the day off!" He low fived Bolin under the table.

"What's the band?" Asami asked.

"The what?"

"The band you really like?" she clarified.

"Oh uh…" he checked his phone. "Terror Pigeon," he read. "They're like super underground you wouldn't have heard of them," he finished quickly.

"What kind of name is Terror Pigeon?" Mako asked.

"Don't make fun of my favorite band, Mako!" Bolin defended, (now that his mission was halfway completed). "Can we go now please I want to go home and listen to the album to pump myself up!" (A.K.A he needed to go home and listen to the entire album and memorize all the words so that he didn't get caught in a massive lie).

"Sure," Mako said. "You good to go, 'Sami?"

He seemed to pull her out of an intense thought. "Yeah," she agreed, leaving a few bills on the table. (She needed to go home and prepare her speech…maybe make another chart with talking points…maybe rate them by usefulness…).

Mako told them to wait outside as he pulled the car around. Once he was gone, Bolin took Asami's phone out of his pocket and handed it back to her.

"Did you get the tickets?" she asked.

"No," he said. "There are plenty, I'll do it when I go home," he motioned for her to look at the screen. "I did make you a reservation at Kwong's for tomorrow though."

"Kwong's?" she asked, as her phone buzzed.

 _Iroh: 7:58p.m: I'd love to! See you tomorrow at 8._

Her eyes went wide. "Bolin…what did you just do?" Part of her already knew, but she needed to hear him say it before she absolutely panicked.

"Oh nothing, I just, told Iroh you wanted to go to Kwong's tomorrow and you already had a reservation…"

"Kwong's!?" She yelled. " _I'm going to kill you!_ That's the nicest restaurant in the whole fucking city!"

"Would you prefer getting broken up with there or at a McDonalds?!" he yelled back.

" _Break up?_ " she was panicking now. She didn't have enough time to make a chart-

"Korra's coming home in five days! The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be!"

"Bolin! I'm going to murder you!" she punched him in the arm. "Did it ever occur to you that I might not want to break up?!"

"No! Because you do!" he insisted. "Listen, you have the date, break up with him if you want, but otherwise it's just another regular date!"

"At the nicest place in the city!" she reminded.

"Hey, I'd want to go out in style!"

"That would literally be the most expensive break up ever. An appetizer is like twenty bucks there. And what am I going to say? Hey Iroh, please look at my web of feelings and try to understand?"

"No pain no gain Sato," he pointed to Mako's car coming around the corner. "Also it's _Terror Pigeon_ , don't forget to tell Korra," he said, before climbing into the front seat, leaving Asami in the back to stew.

"I hate you so much, Bolin."

* * *

Night after Kwong's:

 _Asami: 1:23a.m: I miss you_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:30a.m: is everything ok? you're up late_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:30a.m: i miss you too_

 _Asami: 1:31a.m: I know, Mako told me_

 _Asami: 1:31a.m: And everything's fine, I'll tell you about it later?_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:32a.m: i'm going to kill him, he didn't tell you how much, did he? And ok._

 _Asami: 1:33a.m: No, he didn't want to embarrass you._

 _Southern Stallion: 1:33a.m: oh good, cause it's really embarrassing_

 _Asami: 1:34a.m: What are you doing up?_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:34a.m: the fam had a party. got the shit kicked out of me by my cousin at cards ao hard and my dad just found out what fireball is, so this probably won't end until 3a.m_

 _Asami: 1:34a.m: You made your dad take shots of Fireball?_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:35a.m: i regret it_

 _Asami: 1:36a.m: Has he tried to arm wrestle you yet?_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:36a.m: only like 12 times_

 _Asami: 1:36a.m: Also, wanted to know if you wanted to go into the city for a concert the night after you get back, its Bolin's favorite band, apparently. If you think you'll be tired it's okay._

 _Southern Stallion: 1:37a.m: Ke$ha?_

 _Asami: 1:38a.m: I WISH! No, some band named Terror Pigeon._

 _Southern Stallion: 1:40a.m: the fuck kind of name is that_

 _Asami: 1:41a.m: No idea._

 _Southern Stallion: 1:42a.m: why not? it'll probably be fun. and I want to see you_

 _Asami: 1:43a.m: I want to see you too_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:44a.m: :)_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:44a.m: I really do miss you_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:44a.m: sorry I haven't talked, my parents had a lot planned_

 _Asami: 1:45a.m: It's okay. You can show me how much you missed me when you get back_

 _Southern Stallion: 1:45a.m: will do :)_


	13. Lovestoned (I Think She Knows)

Bolin was in Mako's room jumping up and down on his bed while Mako danced next to his computer. It was the exactly what they used to do before their pee-wee football games when they were eight (decked out in their full padding and uniform) to get themselves pumped up to make some tackles. Only this time they were listening to Bolin's "new favorite band," instead of _Linkin Park_ and instead of being excited about pee-wee football, they were excited about their two best friends getting married. Or well, possibly. That was _highly_ circumstantial and totally dependent on how today and the next few days went, but it was exciting, nonetheless, if things were to work out.

It felt amazing to not have to keep secrets from each other anymore- they were both very terrible liars and had unknowingly been avoiding extended conversation with each other for quite some time now in case they blabbed. They had stayed up almost the entire night the day Bolin had his revelation at the bar, exchanging stories:

" _When did she tell you?"_

 _"Like, beginning of summer. We were in the car and I totally guessed detective style and she blabbed everything. It was amazing, if I do say so myself. What about you?"_

 _"Only this summer? Asami told me at the beginning of last year! I totally saw her making googly eyes at Korra coming out of the pool at one of her meets, and I asked her if she was as wet as Korra right now. She got so flustered she had to leave the building. But, we didn't really talk much about it after that until Korra and Kuvira started up, though."_

 _"That long?! How did you manage it keep a secret that long? And, good one bro."_

 _"Thanks. And no offense, I pretty much told Opal that same day, and she doesn't even try to hide that she knows. She is gunning for them so hard, its kind of funny."_

 _"Hah! That's why Asami keeps threatening to kill her!"_

 _"Yeah! Because she's always threatening to send random naked pictures from Asami's phone if she doesn't do it first."_

 _"No offense, Opal is nuts…but do you think Asami would send Korra naked pictures?"_

 _"Mind out of the gutter, bro."_

 _"I was just asking! You know. For detective purposes. Fine! Who do you think is gonna make the first move?"  
_

 _"Asami for sure."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Dude, she's been invested for so long. And we all know having a crush on Korra is unbearable."_

 _"Oh, I know. You know, I want to say Korra would do it, but I think she's losing her edge, man. I've never seen her so wound up about someone."_

 _"My money's on Asami, a hundred percent."_

 _"Alright, I'll play. Twenty bucks on Korra, I always root for the underdog, and she's totally gonna snap soon. Especially if she gets naked pictures."_

 _"Make it fifty. Asami, in the third round, TKO!"_

 _"What? Where are you getting fifty bucks? And how are we gauging rounds?"_

Eventually, high off their excitement, they convinced themselves there was _no way_ Korra and Asami wouldn't run away during the concert to have babies. Which meant they'd have to do some serious recon to be able to find out who won.

"You know, this band's not so bad," Mako confessed, while he copied the dance moves in the Terror Pigeon video, which meant rolling around on the floor? "Where did you hear about them? Wing and Wei?"

"Mako! I need to tell you another secret," Bolin paused from jumping on the bed and Mako looked up at him from the floor.

"What?"

"I had no idea who this band was five days ago. I literally looked up any concert I could find as an excuse to go into the city so they would have to talk to each other," Bolin leapt up again. "They're probably going to hate it!"

"Bo, you're a genius!" Mako yelled, pounding his fist into the carpet.

"I know!"

"We should have collaborated so much earlier!"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"What are you boys doing in there?" It was Grandma Yin. "You better not be breaking anything with those helmets again!" she yelled.

"We're just _dancing_ Grandma, its fine!" Mako explained, hoping she didn't open the door to see what her two fully-grown grandchildren considered "dancing".

"Oh my gosh we should totally bring our pee-wee helmets to the show," Bolin giggled.

"You still think those would fit?" Mako asked.

"I don't know about you, but I've always had a giant head, I wouldn't be surprised if they did."

"Let's go find them!" Mako agreed, "They have to be in the basement!"

"Yes!" Bolin leapt off the bed, threw in a few karate moves, and bounded out the door to the basement.

Today was going to be _awesome._

* * *

Today was going to be a _disaster._

Yesterday, Korra couldn't wait to get off the Southern ship and back to Republic City. She'd felt like her life had literally been on freeze for the past two weeks and she wanted nothing more than to jump back into the swing of things now that her body, mind and soul were on the same page again- and she was embracing the masochistic urge to let the flow to _destroy_ her.

She'd basically stayed awake the whole night before the concert in anticipation and excitement over seeing her friends (and beautiful, elegant, wonderful Asami) again. But, because she'd scrapped her first angry response to Iroh's introductory email and went with something far shorter and more pleasant instead (she didn't want to have to explain her profanity to Mr. Zuko) Iroh had responded (quickly and unfortunately) with this:

From: captainlax

To: whatsanavatar

Re re: Hello

Glad to hear you're excited for summer swim practice, it will be great to have friends before the semester even starts. Best of luck! And actually, I come from a military family; my dad (and gramps) were both in the Fire Nation Forces so it was actually a pretty easy decision to make.

Also, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get together when you get back from the South? Maybe Friday? Around noon? I know we don't know each other too well, and I might the last person you'd want to see, but it would mean a lot to me. I would at least be able to tell grandpa I met you, formally.

Let me know,

Iroh

To which she'd responded:

From: whatsanavatar

To: captainlax

Re re re: Hello

Sure. Friday's good.

Korra

Scratch that: _Dumb fucking idiot_ Korra.

That's how she found herself spending the pre-concert afternoon waiting in the in the coffeehouse for the last person she _ever_ thought she'd be waiting for ( _really Korra? When did you become such a fucking sap? A pretty boy you hate asks to meet and you agree no questions asked thirty seconds later?_ ) and at this particular moment, she wanted nothing more than to run away back into the snowy abyss.

If she was being honest though, as much as she didn't want to be in the same place at the same time (or even on the same continent) as Iroh, this was someone that Asami had decided was worth her time, and Korra thought she should probably meet him if he was asking, (quite politely, she might add) and at least try to see what Asami saw in him. She'd at least be able to tell Asami she had decided to grow up, and stop letting things like jealousy get in the way of their friendship and her relationships (and knowing your enemy was the art of war, right?).

So. Here she was.

She was too nervous to eat her usual meal of everything on the menu, and decided on an espresso to make up for the fact that she'd gotten no sleep, but it only put her nerves even further on edge. It didn't help that _that_ couch was literally staring her right in the face, bringing up the most inappropriate memory for the present occasion. She nearly leapt out of the seat and knocked over the table and all the beverages when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey," Iroh greeted. "You okay?" he chuckled at her jitters.

"Yeah, fine," she answered quickly, standing up as tall as she could. She shook his hand firmly, (because how did you greet your arch nemesis/ romantic competition/ love of your life's boyfriend who looks _great_ in a polo and khaki shorts, _damn_ ), and gave him a curt nod. "Uh, sit. I got you some tea- it seemed neutral cause I wasn't sure if you like coffee or whatever-"

"Thanks," he said, sitting across from her. "I hope you weren't waiting long."

"No, I live pretty close by, so it's no big deal," she explained.

"How was your trip back?" ( _Was she really about to have casual non-confrontational conversation with Iroh?_ )

"Long, but it's not so bad. I usually just fall asleep anywhere on the ship and eighteen hours later, here I am!"

"Eighteen?!" ( _Was he actually interested in their casual non-confrontational conversation?)_

"Yeah, it used to take days on the older ships. But they've got fancy ones now. How do you like the tea?" _(I'm rambling aren't I? Keep it cool, Korra, don't be a rambler. Have to make it seem like you're Asami's cool, awesome friend.)_

"The tea here is my favorite," Iroh chuckled again, "My grandpa actually turned me on to it, he's basically been to every place in the city searching for a good cup."

"Mr. Zuko is a tea connoisseur?" Korra asked.

"Something like that. His uncle actually owned a teashop he worked at for a while. So he knows his stuff," he explained.

"That's cool," she smiled, (stupid Iroh being easy to talk to) "It's Asami's favorite too."

He gave her a small smile. "I know. I actually…I met her here."

"Oh."

She suddenly felt really bad that she hadn't even known that about Iroh, or Asami actually, considering that would probably be something a best friend would know. _(Had Asami told her this? Probably…)_

"That's cool, uh, we used to come here a lot after school," she said.

"Yeah, that's when I ran into her, I think she might have been waiting here for your swim practice or something to end- I asked her to prom pretty much on the spot," he chuckled, probably at the memory of how intimidating it was for anyone to ask Asami Sato anything, let alone to go to the prom with you.

She laughed back nervously. Was this whole meeting just going to be Iroh telling Korra things she should have known about Asami? Because that was super embarrassing.

"She's pretty hard to ignore," she conceded. If she'd met Asami in a coffeehouse she probably would have asked her out on the spot, too. _(Damnit. Should have met Asami in a coffeehouse.)_

He only smiled sadly.

It was then she noticed that he looked tired, his usually vibrant amber eyes (or as vibrant and captivating as she usually imagined them) had dark circles under them, and he seemed to be distracting himself with his teacup. She couldn't let this be awkward though- as awkward as this was- because she would never hear the end of it if he told Asami about it- and she wasn't that awkward, okay? That was only with Shin! Regardless, Asami was really the only topic they had in common, so she had to stick with it.

"So uh…how was Kwong's? Is it as fancy as they say?" She tried to sound excited, and pretend like she hadn't spent the past few days stewing about it in the tundra. _(While we're at it Iroh, I was also considering the military…)_

He looked up from his tea and gave her a questioning look. "Asami didn't tell you?"

She gave him an equally questioning look. "Tell me what?"

He paused. "I guess you were in the South when it happened," he played with his teacup again. "Uh, well…" he started, seemingly mulling the words over in his mouth. "We broke up," he said finally. "Well. She broke up with me," he finished softly.

(HOLD UP. Half of Korra's brain came to a skidding halt. _What?_ Broke up? _They were broken up?_ Then his eyes made sense. Had he been crying? Iroh, General of the United Forces, President of the Moon, _crying_? What the fuck?)

 _"What?!"_

He looked confused at her surprise. "She really didn't tell you?"

"No! I guess, I only get back yesterday and I haven't seen her but…" _(But you think she'd have mentioned it…)_

"Wow," he laughed. "I was pretty surprised you agreed to meet me," he confessed. "I thought maybe you only did so you could beat me up or something- not because you had no idea!"

 _(Clearly I don't have much of an idea about anything in your relationship...ex-relationship...)_ "Is there something I should be beating you up for?" she scowled. Part of her knew that there most likely wasn't, but it would make things easier, wouldn't it? She had always wanted to punch him.

"I dunno," he said. "Maybe! I don't know what I did! It was really sudden, she just-" he didn't finish, probably lost in the memory.

Curiosity got the best of her. "At Kwong's?"

"Yeah," he said softly, his (really beautiful) voice cracking a bit.

"That's rough, buddy."

He nodded.

"…Did she at least pay?"

He let out a small laugh. "Yeah, but…we barely made it through dinner she was crying so hard!"

"She cried?" _(What the fuck Asami, why didn't you say anything?)_

"It started out fine," Iroh seemed to be in pain just thinking about it. "Then sometime after the appetizer she got really nervous said she wanted to talk, which everyone knows is never good. She just kept saying she ' _couldn't do it anymore_ ' and that she 'cared about me a lot' but _'this'_ wasn't what she wanted-" he paused to look at Korra. "And don't judge me, but she just- she was crying so much at that point it made _me_ cry- and seriously, it was just a mess!" He buried his face in his hands, leaning back in his chair. "I can never go back to Kwong's again!"

Oh, wow. That was seriously embarrassing. And what the heck, Asami. Kwong's was pretty high class for a breakup; she could see why he hadn't expected it.

"Did she say _why_?" Korra's mind was racing now. Of all the scenarios she'd thought of in her _life,_ her being here, talking with _Iroh_ about _Asami_ was never one of them. She'd imagined _him_ leaving her and Asami finding solace in Korra, or Korra begging Asami to leave him at the altar, or even that whole president of the world scenario where she waited until she was ninety-three… and in none of those did she ever think she'd feel so bad for _Iroh_ , and worried if he'd be okay.

"No!" he cried. "I thought maybe you knew! She kept saying she was sorry, but she didn't say for what. I assume it was for breaking up like that, but…we've never had problems before! Even though it was a different arrangement before- I just- I don't know what else changed!" he said desperately.

Korra pondered this. She knew Asami and Iroh got along together like pie and ice cream, but there were also a _lot_ of glaring holes in their relationship that Korra never filled by actually _talking to Asami_ about it, (and she couldn't fill them now), so her guess was as good as Iroh's as to _why_.

"I don't know either," she admitted, miserably. ( _Some friend you are_.) The image of herself pinning Asami to the wall of a pool half naked did cross her mind, which made her feel extremely guilty sitting in front of a kid that was so clearly torn up over her, but Iroh didn't need to know that. Not right now, anyway.

"Maybe you could talk to her?" Iroh pleaded. "I couldn't say what I wanted to her before, you know, with all the tears, and I can't be angry at a crying girl… but I know she'll talk to you. I've never seen her so upset before, _ever,_ and she won't return any of my calls anymore."

Korra didn't say anything. Would Asami have broken things off with Iroh for _her_? For the _pool_? Was that thinking too highly of herself? I mean, she anf Iroh had two years of prolific history and she and Korra, well, they just had a few missed connections. Iroh clearly liked (maybe even _loved_ ) Asami, from his reaction- and it just didn't make sense. Twenty minutes ago she would have been ecstatic at this news- but in reality, the sheer number of tears that had actually been shed over this between the two of them only made her want to cry too.

"I'll ask," she croaked. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," he smiled at her. "I know we don't know each other that well, and you're her best friend-"

"No, I'm sorry," she stopped him. "She _is_ my best friend and I…I should have made the effort to get to know you better. You seem like a great guy and I know… she did care about you a lot. She actually didn't shutup about you for a while," she smiled back. She couldn't fix what she'd done, but maybe she could be better moving forward. "Just, don't be angry at her, okay? She doesn't usually cry like that…which means it was probably really hard for her to do. I'm sure she had her reasons."

"I'm not mad," Iroh confessed. "I don't think I could ever be mad at her. I just want to make sure she's okay."

"I'll make sure for you," Korra promised solemnly. That promise was an easy one to make.

"Thank you. I appreciate it, really."

She nodded. They were silent together for some time, finishing their tea and accepting the strangeness that was apparently their fledgling friendship. (Could you even call it that?) They might not have had known each other well, but the person they cared about most in the world was the same; didn't that speak volumes about them?

Finally, Iroh spoke up again.

"Man, if she doesn't want to get back together…I lost out on having some pretty hot kids didn't I?"

Korra nearly fainted. " _Kids_?!"

"Sorry," he shook his head. "Grandpa's always talking about them, it kinda just happens. I just mean, I thought we had something that might last, you know? Sucks that she didn't think so."

"Yeah," Korra agreed sadly. _(I never thought I'd ever feel bad enough for Iroh to hug him_.) "But you're a good-looking guy, right?" She patted his shoulder. "I'm sure that and the military uniform will be great for your prospects."

He tried to smile though the gloom. "We'll see. It might be a while before I jump back in…its just. How often do you come across a girl like Asami?"

"Not often," she agreed, staring down at the table. "You did the right thing, asking her out the second you saw her," she told him quietly. ( _Better than I can say for myself. I'm sorry I took you down with me._ ) "I'll talk to her," she promised. "It's the least I could do." ( _For both of us._ )

He smiled and thanked her. She couldn't just leave him there though, moping about Asami like she'd done so many times before (she knew the feeling all too well) so she bought them some ice cream and asked him about his grandpa, ( _how do you deal with how slow he walks_?), about his choice to join the United Forces, and how maybe she'd teach him to swim properly one day so he could bother some other young lifeguard when he was eighty and still kicking. He left her a list of places with good tea, and eventually they hugged goodbye, and she waved as he pulled off in his car.

 _Well, that was a mindfuck._

 _Did she just spend an afternoon with Iroh?_

Now that he was gone, and the smoke from her two-year long Iroh induced hatred/anger/jealousy had cleared, she was torn. Part of her wanted to be happy, and the other part of her wanted to throw up. She had come home expecting to what? Tell Asami how she felt while Iroh was still in the picture? No. She would have had to wait for Iroh to mess up (which it was clear now he most likely would not have) or beg her to leave him in order to bear the full responsibility of telling Asami how she felt. Now the opportunity had been handed to her on a silver-fucking platter, (at the expense of his broken heart) and she was going to freak out. She'd expected to have more time…more groveling…more everything. Now it looked like the dumb stupid concert she'd agreed to would be the stage for the most terrifying moment of her young life. _Terror_ Pigons for real, son.

If she thought it was bad before, she was in real rough water now. Her best friend hadn't felt comfortable enough to talk to her because of her jealousy and she'd had to hear about her first breakup from a guy she barely even knew. Tonight, she deserved to be thrown against the cliffside, but she would at least look Asami in the eye and admit she deserved it when it happened.

* * *

When Asami pulled up into the driveway (Korra had been waiting on the steps like a guilty five year old) she all but ran up to her and pulled her out of the car, so she could lift her into a giant, tight hug.

"Wow," Asami wheezed wrapping her arms around Korra's head. "You really did miss me!" ( _I'm sorry I haven't told you._ )

"So much!" Korra admitted, burying her face in Asami's belly. "Two weeks is forever!" ( _I'm sorry about you and Iroh_.)

"Are you going to put me down?"

Korra looked up, grinning. "Nope!"

"Korra!"

"Fine," she relented, placing Asami gently down on her feet before pulling her into a similarly tight regular hug. ( _I'm sorry this is the only way we can talk._ ) They stayed like that for a minute before Asami spoke up.

"I missed you a lot, too," she murmured, and her eyes, as vibrant and captivating Korra knew they usually were, also seemed dark and weary like Iroh's.

Korra opened her mouth to say- she wasn't sure what- everything was so messed up she didn't know where to start- when she felt another pair of arms wrap around her from behind. Bolin was squeezing her so hard she thought her eyes might pop out.

"Bo! You're going to crush her," Asami laughed, since she was the only one that could see Korra's eyes bugging out.

"Sorry," he let her go just a little. "I just missed you so much!"

"I missed you to Bo," she coughed. "Where's Mako!"

"Over here!" Mako called from the car. He waved. She waved back. Apparently they were too cool for hugs?

"Are you guys ready for the best night of your lives?" Bolin nudged them both. He'd seen that lingering hug. He also had to move quickly if he wanted his plan to work out.

"I dunno, Bo," Korra said. She and Asami were both very skeptical that Terror Pigeon was going to blow their minds how he said they would. (They didn't know his excitement stemmed from reasons totally unrelated to the band. He was actually counting on the fact that they were lackluster, so they'd be more interested in making out than the music.) She almost wanted to suggest she stay home with Asami so they could try to work things out.

"Here," he handed them a burned CD of TP's _worst_ hits, probably to convince them even further that this was something they would hate. "Me and Mako are gonna drive to the train station separately because we are on a roll as brothers today, and we need more time to bond," he chatted quickly, patting them both on the shoulder and running back to Mako's idling car.

"What the heck does that mean?" Asami asked as she watched them pull out of the driveway wearing football helmets.

"I have no idea," Korra admitted. "Are they really that excited? And did they really just leave us?" She turned the CD over in her hands. She had listed to some of their songs online…and they were weird to say the least. She and Bolin usually had similar tastes, and this was not going to be one of them. She already knew she was here for Asami, and Asami alone.

"Looks like it," Asami shrugged. They were already halfway down Korra's street. "Mind if I drive?"

"Not at all."

* * *

They listened to the CD in the car (which was _okay_ , they guessed?) and that didn't leave them much time for talking, except for a few comments about the fucking weird lyrics. Korra figured a ten-minute car ride wasn't enough time to appreciate the full artistic spectrum the band had to offer (and Asami agreed) or to start a heavy conversation with Asami that would've had to end when they sat next to Mako and Bolin on the train anyway. (Sto _p making excuses Korra, do what you have to do_.) The rattling train only seemed to put her more on edge.

To "thank" everyone for coming out with him and celebrate Korra being back, Bolin had made reservations for dinner beforehand at a sweet noodle shop, where Mako and Bolin chose the smallest booth possible and sat next to one another (where they would usually sit boy-girl to be more space efficient) and Korra was basically pressed up to Asami's side. Korra ignored the way her skin burned where it brushed against Asami's by telling them tales of the South, and the version of the seal hunt where she _didn't_ get tail-whipped in the face. Asami was mostly quiet, except when she fretted over the giant bruise that still adorned Korra's face (obviously, she hadn't given up the game with her cousins and learned the hard way that she was just _that bad_ at cards).

Eventually, Asami seemed to give up trying to keep any space between them and leaned into Korra's side - which Korra found almost encouraging. She managed to squeeze Asami's knee under the table and smile at her when Mako did something funny, and Asami rested her hand on top of Korra's in agreement. Her heart almost stopped at the contact, and she was positive that she'd have another hand shaped mark on her skin when Asami finally removed it.

The boys really were on a roll- jiving with the waitress and grinning at Korra and Asami (and maybe if Korra knew it was because they had finally stopped keeping _secrets_ from each other it would incentivize her to tell Asami _hers_ , and they'd be able to say more than ten words to each other.) She was also very jealous she didn't have a football helmet to mosh in.

"How come you didn't tell us there was a theme!" Korra pouted. "That would have been so fun!"

"Boys only, Kor," Bolin insisted. He nudged Mako to pay the bill for them ( _I thought this dinner was your idea bro_?) and in another flurry, they left Korra and Asami behind again, unable to catch up.

"Looks like it's just us, tonight," Asami pointed out quietly, as Korra collected their things to leave the restaurant.

Korra looked towards the door that the boys had disappeared through. "Looks like it," she smiled nervously, handing Asami her bag. _Hopefully my awkwardness doesn't kill us_.

"They are seriously all over the place today."

"I know. Are you sure they didn't take drugs?"

"I don't think they did, but considering where we're going, I wouldn't blame them."

They made their way to the small venue together (which was in the really hipster/ up and coming part of town), and while they were waiting in line, Mako had magically appeared next to Korra from some corner he had been waiting in (and she nearly punched him out in surprise) to tell her quietly and seriously that she should _probably_ talk to Asami (about things she should probably talk to Asami about). To his surprise, Korra calmly and quickly agreed with him. She knew they had not talked about Bolin's party, or what had happened with Iroh earlier, and all that lingering potential conversation was clearly stifling any hope of her talking about anything else.

He patted her on her bruised cheek and retreated back into the venue, without telling her where they'd be. She looked over to where Asami was waiting quietly in line. Korra had nearly fallen in love all over again when she'd seen Asami in the driveway after two whole weeks, and her heart had nearly broken at the defeated look in her eyes. She had wanted to squeeze her until all her pain was gone, but she didn't think Asami would have appreciated that very much. She rejoined her friend in line, smiling uneasily again, and wrapping her arm around Asami's shoulders, hoping that was a decent substitute for what she couldn't yet say.

* * *

If they'd had low expectations for Terror Pigeon, they did not know what to think about the openers. The first act looked were just a couple of guys who seemingly had decided to start a band yesterday, and both wanted to be the drummer, so they had two, and were both singers. It reminded her of something Wing and Wei would do. The second was a guy who played the synthesizer while his girlfriend sang slowly and sadly. They sounded pretty cool, but if things were going to continue miserably like this, Korra was going to need some social lubricant. Her heart was racing in a mixture of anticipation and fear, and maybe some shots would loosen up the blabbery part of her brain that she desperately needed right now.

She pulled Asami all the way to the back of the room where the bar was, and ordered two vodkas.

"What, no Fireball?" Asami asked, chuckling.

"I would be happy if I never saw Fireball again," Korra said seriously. "I think my family drank half the factory that night."

"Oh god, stop, I want to throw up just thinking about it," Asami pretended to gag, covering her mouth. They'd had some pretty awful nights thanks to Fireball. (And she too was noticing that this was unfortunately, probably the only way they'd be able to talk.)

"Maybe this will help you forget," Korra pushed the glass the bartender had poured towards her, and they cheers-ed. She took it all in one gulp. Asami did the same.

"So how do we break it to Bolin that his taste in music is steadily declining into disastrous?" she tried. (Neutral ground Korra, keep it cool.)

"I think it's a little late for that," Asami pointed out. The girl and her boyfriend had brought a cat on stage that was mewing through their last song. She flagged the bartender for two more. "I'm all for art, but this is just not something I can support."

Korra hummed in agreement. They clinked their refilled glasses and drank again. Things between them were already flowing better, even if it was just small talk. "It sounds like she would rather have us die out here than have fun."

Asami agreed. "So let's ditch this place," she suggested.

"What?"

"What? The boys are off doing their own thing- and this is worse than a funeral. Let's go somewhere we can actually dance or something."

Korra cackled. "Is that why the sophisticated Asami Sato came out tonight? To get her grind on with some strangers?" ( _Better fucking not be, but it would make sense-_ )

"I'm just saying. I didn't come all the way into the city to not enjoy myself. Your choice," she offered, gulping down her drink.

Korra studied her a moment. She was right. She only wanted to be with Asami anyway, and they hadn't seen the boys in almost an hour, except for Korra's run in with Mako. Being alone somewhere else might help.

"Alright," she agreed.

They walked hand in hand towards the door, unknowingly passing Mako and Bolin in the process.

"This is it bro," Bolin whispered to his brother as the girls pushed further outside. "Let's go!"

* * *

They jogged down the street, laughing at how happy they were to just be out of that hellhole, and the fact that they now had the entire city at their disposal. Korra tried to not freak out at how tightly Asami was holding her hand (as if she let go, they would lose one another forever). It was just the two of them now (or so they thought- Mako and Bolin were stealth pursuit a block away) like she'd wanted.

"What about that place?" Asami suggested, pointing to a neon sign a few buildings down.

"The Spirit World?"

"Why not? It looks like the opposite of where we just were."

"True. Sounds like they have music for living people, too," Korra said, noting the thumping that was emanating from behind the walls. "Let's go!"

She pulled Asami until they made it past the giant Earth Kingdom bouncer to the entrance. Inside was all flashing lights and sleek architecture- thousands more times lively than the small crowded venue with dying cats they'd just left. Asami pulled them towards the bar and shoved two shot glasses into Korra's hands.

"I'm not coming back up here, so enjoy it now," she said, before taking hers in rapid succession, and leaning against the bar to survey their new surroundings. (If Korra thought her nerves were bad, she'd be surprised to know Asami's were ten times worse regardless of how composed she looked).

Korra didn't take her eyes off her profile, and Asami felt it. "Do you want to?"

"Want to what?" Asami asked, looking back at Korra, who was fiddling with her drink.

"Dance. Since, well, we can here."

Asami blushed. The last time they had danced had ended up, well. Like _that_. Maybe it would work again?

"Its okay if you don't," Korra laughed, sensing Asami's hesitation. They both knew where it could lead. And, Asami _had_ just broken up with someone…so it was totally understandable.

Asami studied her for a moment. "No. I do," she said finally, (and Korra let out a sigh of relief- she may have said it was okay, but she would not have known what to do next if she'd been shut down, she was running on fumes as it were). Asami smiled and walked off onto the dance floor, calling back. "Hurry up!"

Maybe Asami still had hope they could salvage their night. Maybe they could just kiss and Korra wouldn't have to bring up the pool or Iroh. Maybe instead of word-vomiting she'd actually vomit. Maybe if she touched Asami she would just self-fucking destruct. She stayed behind momentarily to finish her drinks and was making her way in the direction she'd seen Asami walk when she saw another woman, beautiful and tall and seemingly from the Air Nation, pulling Asami further into the crowd with her, and securing her arms around Asami's waist. Korra's jaw immediately clenched and her stomach turned over in knots, and she was about to march right up to the girl and punch her the fuck out when Mako blocked her way.

"Mako? What are you doing here?"

"What are you going to do, Korra?"

"Who the fuck is that supposed to be, Mako?"

"I don't know, but you can't just go barge up there and deck her, if that's what you were going to do!"

"Fine, then I won't deck her, but there's no way I'm letting her mack on Asami right in front of my face!"

"Korra-" he moved to block Korra's pathway again. "Maybe that means you're taking too long to _say something_!" he whispered.

"Seriously-" she was interrupted by another voice.

"Korra!"

It was Asami. She threw her arms around Korra's neck, and Mako disappeared again before Asami even noticed he'd been there. She sensed Korra's agitation almost immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She didn't want to be jealous, or to bring up Mako's suggestion yet, but in the current moment it was difficult to decide which one deserved preference.

"Korra," Asami urged, softly thumbing the bruise on Korra's cheek.

"Who was that?" _Fuck._

"Who?"

"Your fancy Air Nation friend," she scowled. Should have gone with what _Mako said! Korra, you chickenshit._

"Why, are you jealous?" Asami grinned devilishly.

"No, just wondering!"

"It's okay to be jealous, Korra," Asami teased, poking at Korra's side.

"I'm not jealous," Korra repeated. "And I'll tell you why I'm jealous. Because I'm not jealous."

Asami laughed. "You're not making any sense!"

"Oh, and all of a sudden you're the president of things that make sense?" Korra pouted.

"Korrr," Asami whined (If she were being honest, obviously she was relishing the fact that Korra was so green with envy, but she couldn't watch her suffer for long). "She literally saw me alone for thirty seconds and tried to have a dance. But I want to dance with you."

Those words easily dissolved any resentment Korra was holding. She instead became hyper aware of the fact that if she left Asami alone for even thirty seconds she could lose her chance to say something while she stewed about a nobody. There were tons of Iroh's in coffeehouses that would suck up their fears and ask Asami to prom. Or to marry her. Or whatever. So she didn't have to be told twice.

Korra picked Asami up and twirled her, unabashedly knocking into everyone around them. It was much easier to find a rhythm with what was coming out of _these_ speakers, but their dance was really more an attempt to break the tension that had been building up between them, and Korra waved her arms and hips around simply hoping to get Asami to laugh. She didn't dare try anything pool-worthy, lest she really self-destruct, and she could live with just the two of them being close and using any excuse they had to touch.

Asami ended up just giggling into Korra's shoulder because Korra didn't give her room to do much else- so they settled on simply swaying together.

"I am so glad we're here," Asami chuckled into Korra's shoulder. "I didn't want to say anything, but that band was horrific." This had been the exact opposite of the babymaking they'd called dancing at Varrick's, but at least Korra had seemed to loosen up.

"We'll make it up to Bolin," Korra laughed, and she nuzzled her nose into Asami's face, Mako's words echoing in her ears.

Asami simply hummed in agreement.

Relying on proximity as a sign and fueled by her momentary jealousy, Korra couldn't help but move her hand up Asami's back into her hair, and leave a small, soft kiss on her cheek, where her nose had just been.

Asami gasped and pulled back suddenly in Korra's grasp, her gaze flitting between Korra's eyes and her lips. Korra didn't dare move or breathe as Asami studied her, for fear she'd pull away further. ( _Was that too much? Is she going to freak out?_ _Am I going to freak out?_ ) Eventually Asami's hands moved down Korra's shoulders, and she gulped, daring to move her face closer. Asami's gaze was unnerving, and she seemed to consider Korra a moment longer before pulling away entirely, and retreating back off the dance floor. _No!_

"Asami? _Wait!"_

Korra pushed back through the crowd, following where she saw the waves of her friend's hair, until they were outside. She had barely caught up when Asami finally turned around to face her, arms crossed as if she were cold, even though the breeze was warm, the music muffled behind the walls of the venue. They stared each other down for a moment before Korra dared to speak again.

"Are you okay?" she asked timidly. _(Don't freak out Korra. Don't freak out.)_

Asami nodded. "Yeah. I think, maybe, we should talk though?" She looked as if it had taken all her willpower to say those words, and as if she was terrified of how Korra would answer.

( _Oh god, I am gonna freak out.)_ Korra was terrified. Her heart felt like it might possibly explode. Iroh was right; those were not words you ever wanted to hear. But Asami was also right, Mako was right, everyone was right. They probably should talk. Even though every bone in her body was screaming for her to run.

"Talk? About what?" She stalled, swallowing heavily again because her heart was definitely trying to climb outside her body through her throat. She knew they hadn't spoken too much tonight or while Korra was away on purpose, because this was the only conversation that would have come out.

"Anything," Asami started hesitantly. Her eyes were already beginning to tear. "You haven't sat and talked to me in ages. We need to."

Korra could already tell this wasn't going to go well. She was going to bottle up. "I don't know what you mean," she lied.

"Don't do that, Korra," Asami pleaded, stepping closer.

"Don't do what?" (Wow, Korra, you are _trash_ at talking.)

"Don't shut me out like this! Tell me what's going on!" Korra's kiss had brought out the years of Asami's frustration- she didn't want to fall for her feelings without knowing Korra was for real.

"I'm not shutting anyone out!" Korra insisted. She was fighting. (Letting that instinct go was turning out to be harder than she imagined.)

"You are! You've been like this since school ended, maybe even before! What is it you're not telling me?"

"I tell you everything, 'Sami," she said softly. (Except for this. I don't know how to tell you _this_.)

"So why have you been talking to Mako? You say you're not getting together- but he says you tell him everything you won't say to me."

She frowned. "What else did he say?"

"This isn't about him, Korra. You're keeping things from me!"

" _I'm_ keeping things from _you_?" In the midst of accusation, the last of Korra's fight was going to come out. (She had to. She had to before she gave in. It was her nature.)

"Yes!" Asami yelled. (She _knew_ what it was. _She just needed to hear Korra say it_.)

"How about you and Iroh?" Korra questioned. "When we're you going to tell me about that?"

Asami seemed taken aback. "How do you know about Iroh?"

"He told me! Because you wouldn't!" Her anger was rising.

"Since when do you two even talk?"

"Since last week. My old man friend from the pool turned out to be Iroh's grandfather. He asked me for my e-mail so his "handsome grandson" could hit on me, and I nearly had a heart attack when I realized it was Iroh. He asked me to meet him this afternoon! "

"Are you kidding me? Why wouldn't you tell me something like that? Hanging out with my ex, Korra!"

"That was before I knew he was your ex! I thought, "h _ey, maybe I should get to know him better_ ". Then I felt like an idiot when he told me you were broken up and I had no idea!"

"I was going to tell you myself when I was ready!"

"Ready? You could have told me when it happened!" Korra insisted.

"Really? You _never_ asked about him. We literally had an _entire_ relationship that you ignored! I had to shove it in your face to get you to listen to any part of it! What's different now?"

"I don't know! It just kind of hit me when he sent me that message that he really cared about you, and I just… I felt like an ass for ignoring it for so long. He was so into you and how _amazing_ you are and jeez, Asami, you could have told me you were dating the next General of the fucking United Forces."

"You are an ass, because it's a little late to be fucking supportive," Asami pointed out. " _We broke up_. There. I told you," _and I didn't want to because I knew the next words out of your mouth would be:_

"Why?"

"What?" she tried to brush it off.

"Why did you break up with him? He didn't know why. You _destroyed_ him- he cared about you and you just wrecked him, in public no less, and he said you were upset too. So _why_?"

"Don't you dare ask me _why_ Korra," Asami seethed. "If you've been paying attention at all, you know exactly _why_."

(Oh _god_. Did she? Don't freak out. What was she going to tell Iroh? What was she going to do? Stop fighting her, Korra.) "I thought you liked him?" she asked meekly.

"I did." Asami was just waiting for Korra to mess up now. Give her any reason to slap her across the face right on the bruise on her face and never speak to her again. "I _hated_ hurting him. I wasn't just upset. I cried for days. Is that what you want to know?"

"Asami…"

"Ask me why again, Korra." Her voice was thick with emotion, and she was probably going to cry at any moment. And Iroh was right. If Korra saw Asami cry, she was going to start too.

"I-"

"Why would you try and kiss me if you _didn't know why_!"

"I didn't ask you to leave him!" (You. Idiot.)

Asami laughed out a sob. "You're right, you didn't." She moved past Korra towards the street.

"Where are you going?"

" _Home_ , Korra!"

"Wait, no! Don't go by yourself!" she was about to run after Asami when she felt Mako breeze past her, and Bolin held her back by the shoulder.

"What the fuck, Korra!" he yelled, tossing off his helmet.

"Bo? What are you _doing_ here? And how much of that did you hear?"

"Enough! Are you serious!?"

"I know, I just reacted- it was stupid!" He held her back from following Asami again.

"She loves you too much!" he yelled. "You don't deserve her if that's what you're going to do with it!" He seemed quite upset. (Which could only mean Bolin knows…)

"Fuck, Bo, I know. I just...I choked up-" ( _Fuck. Don't cry. Not here_.)

"You're an idiot!" She'd never seen him so angry. "She jumped into the ocean for you, you know!"

"What?" That brought Korra out of her panic, Bolin's green eyes grounding her.

"When your boat was pulling away at the dock," he explained. "She dove in after it."

"She did that?" (Korra you _idiot!_ ) She pulled out of Bolin's grip, and sprinted in the direction Mako had gone, towards the train station. On top of the fact that she'd been _terrible_ to Asami, she'd let her fears get the best of her, let Asami cry in public _twice,_ made her break an admittedly, great guy's heart because _why_? Surely not for all the _bullshit_ Korra had been giving her. Bolin was right. She didn't deserve any of it.

She sprinted off, Bolin hot on her heels, until they reached the only place Asami could have gone. They found her with Mako on the train platform, Mako seemingly having convinced her to at least try and wait until she and Bolin showed up. Before she could approach however, the train pulled in and she had to file in behind Mako and Bolin, Asami already long gone. The boys sat in the first two free seats they could find, Mako shoving Korra further into the train to go find Asami, and _do it right this time, please._

She found Asami standing alone in the enclosed area before the gap between the train cars that had all the gauges and rails and warnings (which gave Korra horrific flashbacks to Operation Rescue Wu) and reluctantly stood opposite her (as far as she could possibly be in the tiny space). Korra watched as Asami obviously turned her attention out the tiny window, probably so she could ignore the dumb stupid friend she was now stuck with.

The gravel between the tracks cascaded beneath them and the cables that connected the cars swayed back and forth as the train sped up, but Korra couldn't distract herself with them for very long. Her gaze kept drifting back to Asami (Asami was always better at being mad, and Korra's anger had long dissipated into horrendous, disabling guilt) and she tried to smile at Asami when she caught her glance over. Asami only returned it with the same pained expression she'd stormed onto the train with- before her gaze returned out the window ( _you fucked up so hard, Korra_ ).

She stared at the tracks once more in shame, but inevitably her eyes returned, appreciating Asami's lean against the rattling wall of the train. She hoped that whatever was out the window stayed more interesting than her, because all she wanted to do was take Asami in before she couldn't anymore- and everything she saw just convinced her even further that she'd been an idiot.

She took in how Asami's profile accented her sharp jawline and the bump on her nose. How her freckles were pale, barely there until the light hit them, and how her hair cascaded down her face until it reached below her shoulders, where it crashed into the collar of her jacket like ink seeping into blood red parchment, staining it. She smiled weakly, thinking how the streetlights shining in Asami's eyes were really the exact hue of green tea that she'd painted her board with ( _how are you so dense?)_.

The dim light streaked in occasionally through the framework of bridges above them as the train raced through streets they'd probably run around on when they were younger ( _how long had Asami felt this way?_ ) and suddenly she felt even more terrible. She'd made one promise to Asami their whole childhood, to keep her from hurting, and that was exactly what she'd done. She watched as Asami rested her head on the metal paneling as the train sped by, her lipstick shining, and Korra hoped with all her heart (maybe possibly please) that those weren't tears, and just the watercolor of Asami's eyes.

Korra felt like whatever was making Asami's eyes water must have been affecting her too. Every foot the train traveled feels like it was pushing her deeper into regret and every clack of the tracks felt like it was trying knock some sort of sense into her ( _she's beautiful_ , clack, _you would do anything for her_ , clack, _you need her_ , clack, _how did you not see this?_ clack _she left Iroh for you_ clack _she jumped into the sea for you_ clack _let her destroy you_ ). She noticed a tingling in her palm and clenched her fist to try and make it go away, but her heart was already racing (worse than it did before a swim meet), and she felt like she might be sick.

This train _had_ to taking her somewhere besides back to the suburbs. It was going much, much further than that, and the clacking in her ears was driving her crazy ( _you're stupid_ clack _you're stupid_ clack _you're stupid_ ) and Korra was suddenly acutely aware of how fast they were moving. The train was flying through somewhere and it filled her with a sense of panic and loss of control she'd never felt before, ( _don't be an idiot_ clack _don't hurt her any more than you already have_ clack _stop wasting time_ clack).

With one hard lurch as the train turned, she was struck with the thought that the beauty she was admiring wasn't just on the outside- she already knew Asami so intimately. She already loved all the little things about her. She loved her genius (knowing there were gears turning in there that probably looked just like the ones she was always playing with), her kindness, her grace, her smile when they did something they weren't supposed to, the crinkle in her eyes, how she took care of Bolin like a little brother (and even cried when he cried), how she turned off the music when they all fell asleep in her car and she was driving, how her hand felt running through Korra's bangs, how her old childhood shyness would flash in her eyes whenever Korra or Bolin would hug her, how she awkwardly used to hold Rohan, and how now they giggle together like they can talk to each other and now, how she'd shown Korra exactly what she was willing to go through to make Korra see she was everything (and Mako's voice: _that girl deserves to know you love her_ ).

 _The train is not trying to convince you to kiss her, Korra_. She tried to reason with herself, but there was nothing present in the tiny compartment to convince her otherwise. There was just Korra and Asami and the space between them, and she wanted desperately for one of those to leave (but in their current state, she thought Asami would probably prefer if Korra was the one who left).

Her heart began pumping a feeling of hopelessness through her for all the pain she must have caused, and to Korra it seemed her gaze must have been unnervingly unwavering ( _everything about her is gorgeous, have you ever told her that before?)_. Every last detail etched on her preoccupied face down through her exposed neckline made her perfect ( _and you don't deserve it_ ). She swallowed the lump in her throat. It was time to go under.

 _She knows you love her, you idiot,_ (clack).

S _he's going to leave without you ever showing her_ , (clack).

 _She loves you_ , (clack), _that's what she's been trying to tell you_ (clack).

 _She knows_ , (clack).

 _Just fucking do it_ , (clack).

The train wins the battle, and she closes the distance between her and Asami. She knows Asami has been oblivious to the way she's been staring at her by the way she starts at Korra's sudden approach, lifting her head up from its resting spot on the wall, and looking her right in the eyes. Korra can see clearly now she'd been fighting her tears from the red around her lower lids, and she swallows her own urge to cry before pushing her gently against the side of the car.

"Korra," she says hoarsely, (not quite a question) and Korra knows she's feeling the same panic in her chest that she is.

Korra doesn't answer. She doesn't have to.

 _She knows._

Asami's hands move to hold her biceps, and Korra's head only hesitates for a fraction, before she moves her lips to meet Asami's.

Asami doesn't hesitate.

 _She knows._

Their lips move against each other for a while, before Korra feels Asami's tears finally spilling onto her face. Her hands are gripping at the fabric on Korra's shoulders for dear life, and she can feel her swallowing the lumps in her throat between kisses. Tears threaten to spill out of Korra's eyes because _what had she been waiting on?_ It quickly becomes more than either of them can handle as years of pent up desire come flooding in, and they can't pull or push on each other any harder without falling over.

Eventually, Korra pulls away and leans her head on Asami's, and they're both breathing heaving shuddering gasps from the stress of it all. The train seems to be moving much smoother now- its previous clamber on the rails subdued into a smooth coasting.

"I'm sorry. I was so scared-" Korra starts, but she's interrupted by Asami's fingers on her lips, as she shakes her head.

Her tears are falling freely now, and they're searching each other's eyes for something else to say. Anything. But there is only one thing left the train will let them.

 _I love you._

 _I know._


	14. You and Me

Korra's not sure if she's mentioned it before, but she _fucking loves driving_. Well, sorry, not just driving, but cars, and the people that drive them, and being in them, and the seats, and wheels and just…. _everything_.

After they'd almost missed their stop from being _distracted_ on the train, Asami had dragged Korra to the car where (hands gripping hips and hair) they'd collided against it's side, too busy to mind Mako and Bolin arguing over who won fifty bucks or to actually _get inside_ , until the blaring train horn nearly gave Korra a heart attack. They split apart long enough for Asami to slide into the driver's seat and Korra to jump over the hood to the passenger side, and that was also enough to break them out of their face sucking haze and take scope of what had just happened.

 _They'd made out_.

Korra wanted to punch her fist and both her feet through the windshield in excitement because _fuck YES_.

She'd imagined kissing Asami a thousand ways to Saturn, but none of them were as good as _actually_ kissing Asami. Her lips were like clouds and her eyelashes were like butterflies and her sighs were like songs and who the fuck was she kidding, it was hot. She was hot. And, actually kissing Asami meant _in reality_ , Asami wanted to kiss her back.

She was broken out of her self-absorbed excitement when Asami's hand reached over the center console to grasp hers. She looked at their linked hands for a moment, and then up to Asami, who was still trying to catch her breath (likely out of both excitement and a bit of panic). The air became heavy between them once more as the moment settled, and Korra squeezed Asami's fingers, assuring her that even though they'd argued worse than they'd ever done before and then proceeded to open up this whole new aspect to their relationship, everything would be okay (and that she was excited and panicked too, but this was good, _they'd gotten though the hard part_ ).

Once Asami had the car in gear, Korra reclaimed her pale hand in both of hers, and left a kiss on each knuckle and fingertip, as if to assure Asami that had she not been driving, Korra's lips would be on every other part of her she could reach (and it was _Asami_ she would always want). She could hear Asami's happy shudders and watched her bite her lip as she tried to keep her composure and the car on the road (Asami had contemplated just pulling over and dealing with the consequences later), and they didn't dare speak, as if any words would just break them out of whatever dream this had to be.

* * *

It wasn't a dream, though, and the other thing about kissing Asami in real life was that after the first time, it was almost easy.

She'd wanted it for so long (and Asami for even longer) that every previous moment in her life felt like it lead to _that_ train, to that tiny fucking little compartment, the only place they were finally allowed to stop dancing and just submit to their desires. It had also become glaringly obvious that every time their lips connected, that _they'd known_. Known they'd wanted each other for years; and all the missed moments and pained glances and soft touches and anomalies in their personalities fell into perspective. Wrestling out all those missed connections through each other's mouths was all they could do to make up for them.

And that was how they fell into a (fabulous) routine.

They would nervously ask one another to hang out and then breeze through whatever activity they'd planned (which they both knew was just a guise) and spend the rest of their time together in Asami's car, or Korra's car, or the relative privacy of Asami's back yard, or the back of a movie theater, until they reluctantly agreed to part to do it all over again the next day. They had not dared step foot in either of their houses, since it was almost unspoken what would occur if they had a bed to do what they normally did.

Today was no different.

The moment they pulled into the driveway, Asami reclaimed her hand (Korra had taken to holding it whenever Asami drove, and Asami never complained) and leapt over the center console to straddle Korra in the passenger seat, where their lips did not part for what must have been close to an hour.

" _Korra_ …" Asami groaned as Korra's hands began to roam roughly under her shirt, which was surprisingly, still on. (It had already come off on a past occasion, and Korra had been forced to commit her most painful act of chivalry and excuse herself from Asami's arms and insist they sit twenty feet away from one another until she regained her composure.)

"Come upstairs," Korra begged, squeezing Asami closer to her.

"I shouldn't," Asami breathed, her lips connecting with Korra's again (she didn't think she would ever get enough, and was going to take what she could before anything could take it away from her).

"We don't have to do anything, I promise," Korra continued through Asami's onslaught, raking her nails down Asami's back. "I just- I want you to stay."

"We both know something will happen if I stay," Asami reasoned, her words validated by her thighs clenching tighter around Korra's lap. Just the thought of the possibility of something more happening between her and Korra made her heart race, (and fifteen year old Asami was so so so so happy for nineteen year old Asami) and at Korra's begging, her insides burned worse than they ever had before.

Korra groaned. She knew Asami was right. They would try but. Well. Asami gyrating on top of her was already not doing her any favors, and she just wanted to feel her, in any way Asami would let her.

"Okay, okay," she agreed finally, burying her face in Asami's neck. "Just please. I don't want you to, but you have to get off me before I go _crazy_."

Asami groaned as well, before running her hands through Korra's hair and pulling her head up. " _Not yet_." Her lips descended on Korra's neck, and Korra's surprise only caused her to bring them closer together.

Asami's scratched at the strong arms wrapped around her waist, and gasped when Korra used that hold to switch their positions in the seat, so Korra was hovering above her. To give them more room, she pulled the seat lever on the side so it reclined under Asami's weight, and their lips met once more.

If Korra thought that the extra space and new position would help with her control, she was wrong. She had only suspected it before, but her suspicions were quickly being validated through their encounters: she didn't have control around Asami. Not emotionally, and now, not physically (they were both crashing into the cliffs at a hundred miles an hour). It didn't help that Asami responded so well to any motion she made, so now Asami's legs were wrapped tightly around Korra's hips and she was pushing into Asami harder than she'd realized.

"Fuck, Korra," Asami managed, trying to face away from Korra's lips. "You're right- _oh go_ d. We have to stop," she breathed.

Korra froze, hands gripping the headrest for dear life, as she battled to regain any semblance of composure.

 _Okay. Okay. You can do this, Korra. Off._

She quickly pecked Asami one last time and completely ungracefully threw herself backwards into the driver's seat. She ended up with her top half in the seat, and her legs still on the passenger side. Being this far away from Asami (two feet) was already _torture_ , and she had to stop herself from immediately tearing up. As she caught her breath, she looked over and saw Asami more disheveled than she'd ever seen her. Her hair was ruffled and stuck up in multiple directions, her lipstick was smudged and her loose shirt was twisted and falling off her shoulder. If that was how Asami looked, Korra must have been a hot fucking mess.

"You okay?" Korra managed to ask, pulling herself up in the driver's seat, looking concernedly over at Asami. This had been one of their more _intense_ hangouts.

"Yeah," Asami managed breathily, smiling. "You?" She also took her time moving, sitting up slowly and bringing the seat back up. She flipped down the visor mirror so she could fix herself.

"Yeah," Korra lied. She would only really be okay once she could rip her jeans off because they were fucking tight in all the wrong places and it was _boiling_ in the car and she just didn't need anything touching her legs anymore. Once she thought Asami was presentable (by Korra standards, not _nearly_ by Asami standards) she popped the door open and tumbled into the fresh outside air, breathing in heavily. She heard Asami's door open as well, and she walked over to where Korra was, before bursting into laughter.

"What?"

"You look like you just got hit by a tornado!" Asami sniggered, moving to wipe the lipstick smudged all over Korra's face and neck.

"Maybe I did," Korra grinned back, twisting her face under Asami's rough strokes.

"Stand still, you dummy," Asami chided, before reaching into the car and pulling out a packet of tissues. "Don't want Papa Tonraq to see you all messed up."

"I'll just tell him it was all your fault."

"I would be happy to take all the credit," Asami smiled, before pulling the ties that were basically falling out of Korra's ruffled hair and handing them to her to fix.

She retied her hair and held her arms out, presenting the finished product. "Better?"

Asami straightened Korra's shirt and pushed her bangs off to one side before stepping back and nodding. "Its as good as its gonna get."

Korra immediately moved forward, back into Asami's space to kiss her again. Asami laughed into the kiss and pushed Korra back.

"I just cleaned your face!"

"Sorry," Korra grinned. "But not sorry."

"Comeon," Asami shook her head, attempting to seem serious through her smile, and pushing Korra towards the front door. "Get inside before I jump you again."

"Why is that any reason for me to go inside?!"

"Korra!"

"Okay, okay," Korra relented, before fishing out her keys. They argued for a bit in hushed tones (god forbid Korra's parents wake up and see either of them in their current state). Eventually Korra cracked the door open, and Asami whispered a soft _goodnight_ and kissed Korra's cheek before turning back to the car. Korra caught her hand. "Wait."

"Korra! Please! It's taking all my self control to go home right now-"

"No, not _that_ ," Korra whispered, before closing the door behind her. "I just. We never really talked about that night in the city. I uh, I don't think I ever apologized, and I wanted to say sorry. For how I reacted."

Asami seemed to have forgotten they'd had a fight at all, or was trying to block it out (could you blame her?), because she didn't say anything. She was almost hoping this honeymoon stage would last forever, but Korra continued.

"I didn't mean to yell, or say any of those stupid things, I just- you scare me."

Asami tried not to look hurt, but it flashed before she could take it back.

"No," _fuck_ , "I mean, the way I feel about you scares me. I _wanted_ to tell you before and I kinda freaked out, and now, well. We haven't been doing much talking."

"It's okay," Asami said softly, squeezing Korra's hand. "Um. Does it still scare you?"

Jeez. Korra had barely had a coherent thought in the past week let alone one about feelings. She wracked her brain for a moment, trying to remember how it was before she was so blissfully ecstatic. She guessed, she'd always thought she'd spill her guts and _then_ try to kiss Asami, but now that the kissing part was over and they seemed to be taking it in stride, she didn't really have much to be scared of.

"No," she smiled. She buried her free hand in Asami's hair and kissed her again. "But I still want you to know why it did. I don't want you to think kissing in different kinds of transportation is all this is."

"Okay," Asami blushed. The rough Korra from the car had been replaced with the soft one she knew so well, who made her knees buckle. (And _wow_ , expressive Korra was a bigger turn on than she thought.)

Korra pressed on. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Asami sighed into another kiss. "You?"

She swore Korra's entire body turned red.

She laughed, squeezing Korra's hand. "I'm sorry, I had to!"

"You're the worst," Korra pouted. "Can't ask you _anything_."

"I was going to see if my dad needed any help at the factory," Asami giggled, nudging Korra playfully. "But it's Saturday, so it closes early. I'll be free in the evening."

"Okay," Korra smiled, liking that answer better, (since she could actually respond to it without combusting). "Meet me on the pier after?"

"Sure," Asami promised, moving in to give Korra a proper kiss goodbye. Not that she didn't love their current setup, but she had been worried they wouldn't talk about _all this_ and they'd get into another argument if she asked to talk again. Korra had surprised her by suggesting it first _and_ seeming serious. "See you tomorrow."

"Get home safe."

(And she did- after she pulled out of Korra's driveway, turned the block, put the car in park, and danced screamed in her seat- before continuing on.)

* * *

 _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit._

Why had she asked Asami to hang out _today_? Past Korra was clearly too excited about seeing Asami again and didn't realize she needed time to _plan these things out_! Was this a date? Was it a friendly beach visit? What was she going to wear? Should she bring food? It would be really weird if she showed up with nothing and they ended up just sitting there if Asami thought it was a date?

She needed to know these things in order to prepare properly!

Asami must have read her mind, or been thinking the same thing, because before she got to freak out for an entire twenty minutes, she received a text:

 _Miss Sato: 12:22p.m: Stop freaking out!_

 _Korra: 12:23p.m: can you hear me? how did you know!_

 _Miss Sato: 12:24p.m: You've been freaking out a lot lately._

 _Korra: 12:24p.m: i'm freaking out for a different reason than I was before_

 _Miss Sato: 12:25p.m: What's that?_

 _Korra: 12:25p.m: i know you just broke up with Iroh, and I know I was the one that asked to hang out…but no pressure no big deal is this a date?!_

 _Korra: 12:25p.m: i need to know for...clothing purposes…_

 _Miss Sato: 12:26p.m: For clothing purposes._

 _Korra: 12:26p.m: yep._

 _Miss Sato: 12:27p.m: Well for clothing purposes, I would like if it were a date. Gives me more options._

 _Korra: 12:27p.m: really? yes!_

 _Korra: 12:27p.m: i would like that too. does 6 still work for you?_

 _Korra: 12:27p.m: also please don't wear that red dress or your red bathing suit or anything red because I need to be able to say words_

 _Miss Sato: 12:28p.m: I didn't know my clothing choices caused you so much stress._

 _Miss Sato: 12:28p.m: Actually dad is testing out a few new things, so closer to 7:30? Is that okay?_

 _Korra: 12:28p.m: they do and that's perfect actually gotta go see you later_

 _Miss Sato: 12:29p.m: See you?_

 _Awe shit!_

 _Goin' on a date with Asami Satooooo-_

Except, because she'd spent so much time panicking and not using her brain she only had seven hours left to prepare! Actually, six and a half if she wanted to be at the beach on time, but _oh crap, okay_. She was going to need backup.

She was a little hesitant to call Bolin, since the last time they spoke it had been Bolin yelling at her for being an idiot. She supposed now was a good a time as any to make up, especially considering the present she had planned for Asami (that she'd painstakingly agonized over her whole trip to the South because she'd lied about what she and Mako were always doing together) and now _Bolin_ was the only one who could help with it. She'd need to get that out of the way first…then go shopping… and then actually find decent clothes… _pressure's on Korra…let's do this._

 **T-minus 6 hours 30 minutes**

 _Bolin…pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up_

"Hello?"

"Oh thank god, Bolin! I need your help! I know you were really mad at me the other day and I know I was an idiot but I really really really could use your amazing friendship right now!"

"Why! What happened?"

"Um, well, I figure Asami already told you about how we've been hooking up-"

"Has she ever!"

"Well, she agreed to go on an actual date tonight!"

" _SHUTUP_!"

" _AWESOME_ RIGHT?"

"YES! Oh my gosh, finally! I have been waiting for this for so long, I wish I had recorded this conversation so I could put it in my scrapbook. Who asked? Maybe I can get another fifty bucks. I have to tell Opal!"

"Fifty bucks? And I asked, but Asami clarified."

"Shoot, I'm not sure how to gauge that one. I had to argue Asami made the first the other night by breaking it off with Iroh and telling you, or Mako would have ended up winning cause you went in for the kiss-"

"Bo, that's great and all, but I have _nothing_ prepared for tonight and it has to be perfect!"

"Say no more, I'm on my way!"

"Wait, you guys bet on us?'

"I'll explain later."

"Okay! Hurry!"

 **T-minus 5 hours 52 minutes**

"Why did you have to pick such an oddly shaped present to give her, Kor?"

"I can't help the weird shape. All I know is that I need a box."

"Why don't you just forget wrapping it and give it to her like this?"

"What kind of stupid present isn't wrapped up?"

"Why don't you just wrap _yourself_ up and say that's the present?"

"That's just lame."

"Not to Asami."

"Bo! Just help me find a shit ton of wrapping paper then! The biggest roll you can find. Or like twelve small ones."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"I guess a bunch of tape too?"

"Good call. Okay. Ready? Break!"

"Don't forget I need your ass back here in half an hour so we can do the finishing touches on this thing!"

 **T-minus 4 hours 45 minutes**

"Bo! What took you so fucking long?"

"Sorry! There were just so many options! I didn't know if you would want turtles, or Ninja Turtles, or just plain green, or like something with the ocean, they had one with sharks, and then I thought maybe red because Asami likes red, so there were a few Christmas ones left behind-"

"Oh my god so what did you get? We're already behind schedule Bo!"

"I just got one of each because, I mean, there weren't twelve of the same style _anyway_ so you would need least two different kinds- then I couldn't decide what combination would look the best-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Thanks buddy. I mean, I pretty much did most of this myself cause you were gone so long, but I still need help with the placement of these last two sections, then we can wrap it!"

"Woah! It looks really nice Korra, she's gonna love it!"

"I hope so."

"Honestly she'd like pebbles if that's what you gave her. She just wants you."

"Bo."

"It's true. She texted me like thirty times while I was at the store about how nervous and excited she is about tonight."

"Really? She seemed pretty down to earth when we texted this morning."

"That's because she's trying to seem calm for you, because she knows you're freaking out!"

"I am only freaking out because it took you _over an hour_ to pick wrapping paper."

"Listen. I need this to be as perfect as you do. There is a lot at stake here buddy. No pressure, but this is the most important moment _of your fucking life_ and that is my favorite person in the whole world besides you and Mako and grandma and Opal and you better not mess it up. We're talking about Asami fucking Sato here."

"Oh great, thanks, that's exactly what I needed to hear Bo, like I didn't fucking know that!"

 **T-minus 2 hours 14 minutes**

"Bolin. We're forgetting something. I know it."

"Like what! I knew we should've made a grocery list!"

"I didn't know what I wanted to get until I saw it! I don't like to be constrained by lists!"

"Yeah except now you think you forgot something and _if we had a list_ we would know what it was!"

"Asami is rubbing off on you real hard."

"What did we forget, Korra! We have to turn back now!"

"Okay okay okay. We have the cheese-"

"Six different kinds."

"We both like cheese okay? Six different kinds of cheese, four different kinds of cured meat, seal jerky-"

"Asami's going to fucking hate that."

"That's for me, asshole."

"Okay, what else?"

"We got the baguette, the grapes, melons, fig jam- do people really eat that?"

"It's fancy as fuck jam imported from the Fire Nation, Korra. It needs to be part of the spread."

"Fine. Fire flakes, a knife, a tablecloth, a basket, wine glasses… oh _fuck_."

"The wine!?"

"You forgot the wine."

" _I_ forgot the wine?"

"How is that not the _first_ thing we picked up?!"

"There are so many different kinds dude, I saw them but I panicked!"

"Turn around! We have to go back!"

 **T-minus 1 hour 21 minutes**

"Just leave me behind, Bolin!"

"I can't! We're in this together!"

"There's no time! As your commanding officer, I'm ordering you leave me behind!"

"But-"

"No buts! It's the only way the mission will succeed! I haven't even showered yet!"

"Korra!"

"Go!"

"Okay. I'll go. I just want you to know," _sniff_ "it's been a pleasure serving you. And I hope tonight is all you dreamed it would be and more."

"I hope so too, buddy."

"Please! Make out a lot, and try the fig jam, because it's to die for-"

"Bo!"

"And if you confess your undying love for each other, don't forget me and Mako. And remember sex on the beach is really treacherous."

"Bolin. I love you. I would never forget you. But if you don't get out of here right now all of this would have been for nothing."

"Aye aye, Captain!"

"Don't forget the stuff in the garage!"

"I won't! And wear something tight, she loves that."

"Great. Thanks for the advice."

"I'm not kidding- that sleeveless underarmour thing you wear sometimes drives her nuuuuuuuuuttsss-"

"I'm not wearing that!"

"I'm just saying, keep it in mind!"

 **T-minus 28 minutes**

 _Fuck fuck fuck oh my god I shouldn't have let Bolin leave what the fuck am I going to wear!_

 _Mako…pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up_

"Hello? Please remember that all tips are kept confidential-"

"What do I wear!?"

"What?"

"On my date with Asami, what do I wear, Mako?!"

"Korra? Wait, what? _You're going on a date with Asami!_? Korra, this is the police hotline-"

"And as an officer of the law, are you going to give me some tips or are you going to let me die here?"

"This number is for you to _give the police tips_ , not the other way around!"

"Mako."

"I'm no good with fashion! If Beifong hears-"

"Listen, I have twenty-five minutes to get dressed and haul my ass to the pier to meet the most beautiful woman on earth so you better-"

"Okay, okay! Uh, what about that blue underarmour thing-

"I'm not fucking wearing that!

"I'm just saying-"

"I know! How many people has she told about that thing? And why am I only hearing about it now?"

"Actually, I have no idea how you don't know, she literally groans over it-"

"Okay, next option! What's the next option!"

"What else do you have that's sleeveless?"

"I'm not going on out first date looking like a guido, Mako, it should have sleeves."

"Trust me on this one, Korra. You wore sleeves the last two times we went out. It's time to feed the beast."

"The beast being…"

"Asami's libido. Oh shit, I've got it. Something sleeveless, and those tight khaki pants you wore to graduation."

"Let me guess."

"She stared at them whole time. Got really upset when you had to put on the graduation gown."

"Why are you guys only telling me these things now!"

"Things always work out better when you're clueless."

"Okay fine. Racerback, tight khaki pants. Got it."

"You'll thank me later."

"I'll thank you now. Wish me luck!"

"With those pants you won't need it."

"Goodbye, sir."

 **T-minus -4 minutes**

She nearly slipped and broke her face sprinting down the boardwalk to the pier that she was supposed to meet Asami (shit Korra, gotta keep the goods in tact) and was very thankful Mako had convinced her to not wear sleeves, otherwise she'd be sweating through her shirt from the heat and the panic and from being late.

She was running so fast that she ran straight past Asami who was waiting by the ice cream stand, with two cones in her hand. She registered the face retroactively, and jogged back slowly to the stand, grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry, I was just panicking cause I was late and I didn't know how long you'd been waiting-"

She was interrupted by a soft kiss on the cheek, and Asami handing her the mini ice cream cone full of cookies and crème. "You're just in time," she laughed. "No panicking, remember?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry," (hopefully the redness in her face from running hid her blush). "Thanks! You haven't been waiting long, have you?"

"No, I just got here. I was fully expecting to have to wait another twenty minutes for you."

Korra snickered. "Then what were you going to do with this ice cream cone?"

"Eat it myself. You would have never known it existed," Asami laughed, slowly licking her own ice cream.

"Remind me again how you're not gigantic?"

"Hey! Ice cream is my only indulgence, Miss Four Burgers and a Milkshake," Asami reminded.

"Hey! Swimming burns a lot of calories and-"

"Don't tell me you're growing because-"

"AND I'M A GROWING CHILD-"

"You stopped growing years ago."

"I'm going to be growing until the day I die."

"Maybe spiritually…and horizontally," she added, as Korra was already inhaling the last bite of cone. "Chew your food, love."

"The day I get fat is the day you get a pimple, so you better hope it never comes," Korra mumbled through her full mouth, blushing at the nickname.

Asami dipped her finger in her ice cream and left a blob on Korra's nose. "I remember last time we were here you said your saliva had anti-pimple powers."

"So you're hoping we suck face enough that you'll never get one?"

"Exactly."

Korra grinned as Asami kissed her nose, taking the blob of ice cream with it. The thought of kissing Asami well into the future was well, something she could get used to. But, she wouldn't let that fluster her. This was a date! And it was time to be suave. Bolin had been coaching her all day. She crossed her arms and flexed a little, and pretended to be upset.

"I thought I requested no red?" she asked, taking in Asami's sundress, which was white and red- the same shade of red as Asami's face as she took in Korra's stance.

"Couldn't let you get away that easily," Asami chuckled. "Had to keep things interesting."

"You're interesting enough. The red is just a welcome distraction."

"So is that sleeveless shirt, but I guess you figured that out."

 _Touché Mako_. "I had some help," she winked.

"Well it was good help," Asami laughed, taking Korra's arm and walking them down the pier. "So what special activities do you have planned for us tonight?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out! But I figure we could play games or something until it's ready?"

"Ready?"

"Yes ma'am, the perfect date takes time. How about I win you a giant sky bison in the meantime?"

"I would love that."

"Uhm. Before we go, I just want to say, you look beautiful," and oh god, _actually_ telling Asami all the mushy lovey things that had been swirling around in her mind for months just seemed so _embarrassing_. Kissing was easier.

"Thanks," Asami seemed to be taking all this in much better stride, but then again, she was always cool under fire. "You look great too," _just_ _don't let me walk behind you at any point tonight_.

They ambled about the pier, hand in hand, looking for the right game for Korra to play (aka one that required no strategy). They'd walked on this pier a million times, but never like this. It made Korra blush, and she imagined it would probably stay there as long as their hands were intertwined. Eventually, they settled on the game that required throwing a football through a tire three times. Korra had gotten it through twice, and was winding up for the third throw, when her phone buzzed. She handed the ball off to Asami, and told her the fate of their night, and their entire relationship, rested in her hands.

"What? Intense much? How do you even throw this thing? It's so awkwardly shaped!"

"Last two fingers in the thread, and when you let it go, let it roll off the tips of your fingers so it spirals! The rest is just luck," Korra explained.

"Or precision," Asami corrected.

"Or that."

"Here goes nothing."

As Asami settled her stance and grip on the ball (her tongue stuck out adorably), Korra pulled out her phone.

 _Bolin: 8:08p.m: kooooorraaaaa i did it! its ready! are u guys here?_

Korra: 8:11p.m: yes! on the pier.

Bolin: 8:11p.m: perfect. if youre looking at the sea, its to the left of the pier about a half mile.

Korra: 8:11p.m: half a mile?!

Bolin: 8:12p.m: prime real estate, bitches. not a soul in sight. u guys can do anything u wannttt ;)

Korra: 8:12p.m: thanks, bud. I owe you

Bolin: 8:12p.m: just make sure you take care of her and i'll call us even

Korra: 8:12p.m: I will

She looked up in time to see the football sail through the tire and both Asami and the game attendant screaming at the top of their lungs, while lights began flashing around the booth.

"Did you see that!?" Asami yelled, grasping the material of Korra's shirt.

"She aced it!" The game attendant was wooping and jumping on the booth's counter in excitement.

"That was amazing!" Korra laughed, picking Asami up and spinning her around in a hug. "I guess that means you get to pick the prize. And we're not doomed!"

"I don't need any prize, Kor," Asami laughed, poking her chest. "I need to go back in time and ask to be the quarterback on the high school team!"

"How about you try out as a walk-on in college?"

"I think I will. Skills like this should be put to use," she laughed, flexing.

"Here," the game attendant interrupted, and supplied Asami with a giant stuffed Snorlax. "I've been saving that one for a real champ!"

They thanked the kid and Asami held the giant Pokémon up over her head as Korra lifted her onto her shoulders, advertising to the pier that Asami was the _next Heisman Trophy winner, right here, in the flesh!_

"I guess Rohan got it from me," Asami laughed.

"No doubt," Korra agreed, carrying Asami down the steps of the pier before putting her down. "Up for a walk?"

"I was kinda hoping you'd just carry me the whole way," Asami nudged her arm, smirking. "You know, put on a show."

"I would love to, but I don't really know how far we have to walk."

"For it to count as a romantic walk on the beach at sunset?"

Korra just smiled, keeping her secret in tact, and took Asami's hand as they made their way down the shoreline, Snorlax sitting atop Korra's shoulders. The sun hadn't yet set entirely, so they had some light to work with as they splashed through the surf towards the setup Korra hoped Bolin had pulled off.

"I'm glad you agreed to make this a date," Korra admitted, savoring how Asami's hand felt in hers and how their bare arms felt brushing against each other as they walked. "I was sort of afraid you wouldn't want to after how upset I made you the other night."

"You already apologized for that, Korra," Asami smiled, pulling Korra closer to her and placing her other hand on Korra's forearm. "Plus, you could have asked me at any point in the past four years and I would have said yes."

"Really? That long?"

Asami hummed affirmatively.

"I just want to make sure you don't forgive stupid things I do too easily just because it's me."

"I think you've earned that right. There are plenty of times you could have been mad at me but weren't."

Korra laughed, and kissed Asami's temple. "I could never be mad at you. Not really."

"Well I guess I'll have to try harder," Asami teased.

They walked a bit longer, Korra surveying the horizon skeptically, and reevaluating everything they'd already passed, but she still saw no indication of Bolin. They'd already walked far enough down the beach where only the lights from the pier were visible. How fucking far had he gone? She let the breaking waves speak for them as they strolled, and Asami seemed content with that, but just to make sure she didn't ask any questions about where they were going, she continued their conversation.

"How come you never asked _me_ out?" Korra questioned, resigning to the fact that Bolin probably picked somewhere in the bumblefuck dunes where literally nobody went. "Four years is a long time."

Asami stepped up shyly, playing with Korra's fingers. " _Weelllll,_ number one, I was a chicken, and sort of in denial that I liked you that much. Two, you were always dating someone by the time I manned up enough. And I guess three, would you have even said yes?"

"Probably not at first," she laughed. She'd only really realized her feelings for Asami their senior year, and even then, she'd been a huge chickenshit about it. "It took me a while to realize what I was feeling for you, so depending on when you asked, I'd probably have just freaked out until I realized I'd made a mistake. Definitely not as romantic as this," she added.

"What?' Asami laughed. "Me breaking some guy's heart in the most expensive restaurant in the city and then us screaming at each other in the side alley of a club?"

"Yeah! People would totally see a movie about that."

"You think so?"

"Well, mostly cause you'd be in it and you're perfect."

"It would 800% be a Nicholas Sparks movie," Asami laughed.

"Why!"

"We're walking on the beach, Kor. Like, every single one of his movies involves something romantic happening on a beach. Safe Haven, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, Message in a Bottle, the Last Song, the Notebook…"

"How many of these have you seen!"

"Uh. All of them?"

"Asami Sato."

"Judge me all you want."

"I am! How am I supposed to live up to your unrealistic movie expectations?"

"You already are!"

"Oh. That's good news then. Maybe we can make out in the ocean later, seal the deal."

"Sounds like a plan to me. And Korra?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you realized."

"Me too," she grinned, lifting Snorlax off her shoulders and handing him to Asami. "Now have him cover your eyes and follow me," she requested. "And no peeking." She'd seen Bolin's lights coming up behind one of the tufts of grass. Hopefully this wasn't a scene out of a Nicholas Sparks movie, because Asami would never believe that she _hadn't_ been watching them behind her back.

"What? Why?" Asami was always very suspicious of any surprises from her friends. It was a knee jerk reaction when your friends were Korra and the Beifongs.

"It's a secret."

"It's already so dark out!"

"Do you want to know the secret or not?"

"If you throw me in the ocean, I swear I'll shave your head."

"Hey!"

"I'm not joking."

"I'm not going to throw you in the ocean," Korra promised.

"Good. Is Snorlax allowed to peek?"

"No, I don't need him whispering secrets to you."

"Awe, alright." Asami hugged the toy in front of her face with one hand and took Korra's hand with the other.

Korra led her through the dunes and past a tall patch of grass. Behind it was a clearing of pure sand, and in the middle she saw Bolin guarding his creation.

 _It was fucking perfect._

She owed Bolin her endless praise, and her firstborn child. Hell, and her secondborn child. It made him want to marry him. Hopefully, it gave Asami the same feeling, except for Korra. _Thank you_ , she mouthed. _This is amazing!_

He flashed her a thumbs up and a massive grin, and lifted a cloth protecting the spread of food he'd created, and snuck off in a perfect imitation of Asami's butler, back towards the pier.

"Can I see yet?" Asami asked impatiently.

"Sure," she laughed, pulling Snorlax away from Asami's face, which she'd buried in his belly.

Asami's gasp of surprise was enough for her to know they'd done well. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she looked from the glittering lights before her on the beach, and back to Korra's questioning smile.

As per Korra's very specific instructions, Bolin had taken four of the tall tiki torches they'd dug up from Korra's backyard (she'd explain to Tonraq later that parts of his landscaping had been ruined for a really good cause), lit them, and strung the white lights she had used for the igloo between them in a square. He'd hung white sheets around half the square and placed the tablecloth in the middle; it was held down by boulders and scattered lanterns, and he'd laid out all the food on a giant wood block they'd stolen from Korra's kitchen (Bolin was a food artist), and buried the bottles of wine in the sand next to it. Her giant wrapped present was buried next to them, and she saw he'd left blankets and a tiny speaker playing soft music in the corner. Now that the sun had set properly, it looked even better than it did in all their terrible drawings in her garage.

"You did this all for me?" Asami asked, walking closer, the wonder in her eyes reflected in how gently she touched the nearest torch, as if the flickering fire and sheets were a mirage that would disappear if she pressed to hard.

"Well, Bolin helped a lot," Korra explained. "But we spent the whole day running around like crazy people trying to get everything together." She took Asami's free hand in hers and pulled her between two of the lamps and into the structure. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just-" Asami was overwhelmed. This, all this, was for her, from Korra. The person she'd pined over for years. She felt the tide coming in again, even though the ocean was a good thirty feet away, this time carrying the knowledge that Korra wanted her back. She took Korra's face in her hands (and did so easily what she'd never been able to do before) and kissed her, hard with soft lips, until she couldn't breathe. Korra's goofy smile when she pulled away was all she needed to know she'd shown her gratification, but she said it anyway. "Thank you. For doing all this. You didn't have to."

Korra's voice was hazy. "I'd do anything for you, 'Sami."

They gazed at each other for a second, watching the fire in each other's eyes, before Korra pulled Asami down to sit on the cloth.

"My lieutenant had ideas of his own, so I'm sorry it's a bit farther than I anticipated."

"It's alright. The cliché is 'long' walks, right?"

Korra grinned. "Right."

"So who's your lieutenant?"

"He's probably creeping in the bushes somewhere nearby."

"Bolin?"

Korra's chuckle answered her.

"He must have had a ball," Asami laughed.

"Oh he did. He's been giving me pointers all day."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Everything. Like I should feed you grapes. Endlessly praise your beauty," she began to play with the hem of Asami's dress. "Sing you John Mayer songs. Rub your feet."

Asami chuckled. Had Bolin been reading her diary? "I like all of those things. But if you're going to feed me, do it before you rub my feet."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

Luckily for Korra, the wind stayed calm (so no sand got in their food) and Bolin had set them up far enough from the sea that the tide didn't affect them. She had been right about the cheese- that was gone first, and Bolin had been right about the seal jerky. She was the only one that ate it. Whatever. Asami's loss. They kissed lazily and chatted easily about nothing in particular, (Korra found she couldn't feed Asami too often, because it placed far too much attention on Asami's lips, and that was not good for her concentration) and when all the food and wine was done (including the bomb-ass fig jam) Korra collapsed onto her back on the tablecloth.

Asami joined her, much more elegantly, placing her head on the crook of Korra's bare arm and her hand on Korra's stomach.

Korra's grin was huge, and she pulled Asami closer. "Belly rubs? Or just an excuse to touch my abs?"

"A bit of both," Asami admitted, letting Korra pull her in, and rubbing lazy circles on the smooth skin underneath Korra's shirt. If a giant spirit tried to end the world right now, she'd be pretty content with how it had all gone down. She'd laid next to Korra so many times, but this was the first time she'd got to unabashedly bury herself into her side and touch her, without the premise of a scary movie or falling sleep aiding her.

They let the sound of the waves lull them into a peaceful silence, their bodies keeping each other warm as the night passed them by.

Eventually, Asami's hand stilled as something caught her eye.

"Hey, Kor?"

"Hm?"

"What's that?" Asami pointed to the giant mass of tape and wrapping paper off in the corner.

Korra opened her eyes to see what she was talking about. "Oh. That. Uh, that's for you."

"Really?"

"Remember how I said Mako and I were spending so much time together for a project?"

"This is it?"

Korra sat up a bit. "Well, not really," she admitted. "Mako and I were actually spending so much time together because I couldn't figure out how to tell you I liked you. I guess he was helping me work it out."

Asami sat up too, chuckling. "You asked Mako for romantic advice?"

"He wasn't totally terrible," she conceded, motioning between them.

"True. I'm sure he was more soothing than Bolin. So why the present?"

Korra rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I mean, I figured I'd told you there'd be one, I didn't want to be a total liar. You can open it if you want."

Asami brushed off her dress and stepped into the sand and pulled the giant block onto the cloth, before settling back next to Korra. "You can help me," she smiled lifting it over their laps. "Since there is _so much_ wrapping paper."

"Twelve rolls, to be exact."

"What on earth needs twelve rolls of wrapping paper, Korra," she laughed, carefully peeling off the first piece of tape and lifting the first layer, which had the shark pattern on it (Asami was that weird kid that meticulously unwrapped presents and saved the untorn paper).

"You'll see."

It took them less than half the time to get the wrapping paper off as it had taken Korra and Bolin to get it on, since Korra (after eight years of watching Asami's process), finally snapped (because let's be honest twelve rolls would have taken years) and convinced her to just fucking _rip it Asami, I won't be offended._

The last tear revealed a brand new six and a half foot surfboard, painted as a midnight blue sky littered with bright white stars. Up the center, green streaks (in the same shade of Asami's eyes Korra had used on her board) mimicked the southern lights connecting two larger stars shining on opposite ends of the board.

Asami's hands ran over the smooth surface reverently, before looking up at Korra.

"Is this for me?"

Korra nodded. "I begged my dad to make it while we were in the South. I wanted to be able to see as many stars as I could when I painted it."

Asami frowned down at the board. "You're telling me this is an accurate reflection of the sky?" The fact that Korra possessed enough patience to pull off something like that was impressive in itself.

Korra shrugged. "As best as I could get it."

"And what are these two?" She pointed to the larger stars on the ends.

Korra's face started to burn and she swallowed nervously. She wouldn't mess up this time.

"That's supposed to be us."

Asami tried to hide her smile. "Us?"

"Yeah, well. I figured we could never figure out Sirius Minor, right? Cause its just two stars, and it could be any two?"

"Yeah?"

"But I guess, even though we could never see it, they were always connected somehow, even though they're like insanely far away in the sky. I figured, it could be us. No matter how far away you are, it could just remind you that we're still connected. By the spirits. By how I feel about you."

Asami's gaze remained fixed on the board in front of her, and Korra was thankful she wasn't seeing how much she was struggling. "And how is that?"

Korra was wringing the end of her shirt as a distraction from her thundering heart. "Like I've never felt this way about anyone before," she confessed. "That's why it scared me so much- I didn't know I could want anybody so badly or that I could want so many things for one person. Or I could find someone so beautiful she made my brain stop working."

Asami smiled solemnly, and Korra let go of her shirt to take her hand. It was only then Asami saw the sincerity in her eyes.

"I wanted to kiss you so many times, and I chickened out every time because I didn't know how to deal with all those feelings at once. I only ever got with Kuvira because you said you were leaving and it was easier to sleep with her than to accept that."

"Korra-"

"And I promised you a long time ago I would do anything to make sure you were happy, that you never got hurt again. And I know I broke it, so I'm promising you again. Anything, Asami."

"You didn't hurt me Korra," Asami whimpered, hating that Korra thought she'd broken her oldest promise. "Everything I did with Iroh- I chose that. I knew I didn't love him, and I used him to try and run away from how I felt about you. Breaking up with him turned out to be harder than I thought it would be, but I'm glad I did it. It would have been worth it even if it was just for tonight."

"I want it to be more than tonight," Korra said immediately.

"Me too."

"So we can have plenty more dates after this?"

"As many as you want," Asami promised. She'd heard what she needed to.

"Good," Korra smiled into a kiss, gently pushing the surfboard off their laps and laying over Asami. They kissed languidly for a few minutes, as they'd done countlessly in the past week, before Korra sat up and pulled off her shirt.

Asami sputtered and held her hands to her chest. "What are you doing?"

Korra gave her one last kiss before standing up and unbuttoning her pants, grinning wildly. "I'm giving you your Nicholas Sparks movie," she explained. "So take off your dress."

"What?"

"You're wearing underwear, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay then comeon! Nothing I haven't seen before. And I don't want a Snorlax looking at me the whole time I stick my tongue down your throat."

"If I recall, you had a pretty hard time last time I took off my clothes."

Korra smiled, and pulled Asami up to stand. "And I'm going to do what I should have done last time I had you in your underwear."

Asami stood defiantly, not willing to let Korra know how fast her heart was beating, or that she just wanted to rake her nails down Korra's cut body. She slowly lifted the hem of her dress, revealing her matching undergarments- not quite as risqué as the ones from the party, but still a vision on Asami's form.

Korra slapped herself internally and incited herself to move, throwing Asami over her shoulder and running towards the sea.

 _"Korra!"_

"I'm not going to throw you in!"

She waded carefully past the breaking waves into the reflection of the moon until she was waist deep before pulling Asami forwards, into the water, and letting her legs settle around her hips. She smiled up at her before kissing her slowly.

Asami gasped and hooked on tighter to Korra as a swell rose and she felt the chill of the ocean down her back, but she didn't dare pull away from Korra's body, or her mouth.

"Is it like the movie?" Korra asked, moving her lips to lick the saltwater off Asami's neck.

"Better," Asami gasped, their lips meeting again. "So much better."


	15. Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry

Asami opened her front door to find Korra and her giant grin, dressed in her board shorts and sunglasses.

"You're three hours early," she pointed out.

"I know, I was just excited," Korra explained, jumping up and down on Asami's front steps, (which made Asami giggle. Everything Korra did was cuter now that she could kiss her stupid cute face whenever she wanted).

"Really? I couldn't tell," Asami smiled, leaning on the doorframe. "You're never early for anything."

"Shutup! I figured since we're going to a surf competition that I'm not allowed to surf in," she paused, "I cooouuuuuulllld at least make myself feel better by teaching _you_ how!"

"To surf?" Asami had avoided the "sport" the entire time she'd known Korra and Bolin (her sentiments on surfing were similar to her sentiments on longboarding), but it was significantly more difficult to say no to Korra today than it had been in the years past.

"Yes! You have your own board now, it would be a shame if you never learned to use it," Korra coaxed. "Plus what did your mom used to say? All you gotta do is surf, 'Sami."

Asami crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "How _dare_ you bring my mother into this," she teased. She was already going to say yes, but she could never say no her mom.

Korra only responded with an exaggerated pout and her hands clasped together, begging.

"Fine," Asami relented. "Let me go get changed."

Korra leapt up. "Yes! You won't regret it, I promise!" She followed Asami inside, but rather than go up to her room with her, she decided to head to the kitchen under the guise of getting a drink. She had been trying to get Asami to surf with her for _years_ , and wasn't about to get distracted by Asami with her shirt off, as great as that would be.

"Korra!"

Korra nearly spit her water back out all over the inside of the fridge. Her thinking about Asami with her shirt off was the _last_ thing she wanted to associate with that voice.

"Heey, Mr. Sato!" she greeted nervously, turning around.

"It's been a while since you've been around, how is everything?" he questioned politely, taking a seat across from her at the kitchen's island. "Asami didn't abandon you down here, did she?"

"No, no," she assured, clearing her throat. "Uh, she's just upstairs changing. And everything's great, we're going surfing, actually." (She wouldn't answer why she hadn't been around-because she wanted to live long enough to _actually_ sleep with his daughter and _oh my god, you better hope he can't read minds, Korra._ )

"Finally convinced her, I see," he chuckled. "She showed me the board you made her, it's a real work of art."

"I figured she'd be the first to find any _structural imperfections_ , so I made sure it was perfect. Or, as close as I could get it," she admitted.

"Well as the second person who would find any structural imperfections, I'd say its pretty close."

"Thanks," she blushed, hoping she wasn't as transparent to him as she seemed to be to everyone else.

"How about school? Are you excited for- where did you choose?" he questioned.

"RCU," she replied. "They gave me a full ride to swim, so it really wasn't to hard to decide after that."

"That's great, Korra! We should celebrate sometime!"

"That would be fun," she laughed. She'd never seen Mr. Sato so animated. "Maybe with one of those nice cognac's you keep hidden away?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he smiled. "Your parents must be happy you'll be so close by."

"My dad is. My mom sort of wished I went to the Fire Nation with Asami," she laughed. "She can't wait to not have to feed me."

"Well, if you can convince Asami to go somewhere closer to home, I'll be glad to feed you," he whispered. "She wants to leave her old man all alone here to stress."

Korra smiled sadly, feeling much more secure that she wasn't the only one that wished Asami wasn't going to be so far away. Except, it was pretty obvious that it would be much worse for him. "I'll try my best to convince her," she promised. She hadn't considered the possibility she could convince Asami to stay. "But you know she'll be fine, Mr. Sato. She can take care of herself. "

"I know," he smiled. "I'd just prefer if you were around to make sure."

She nodded, agreeing. She wanted that more than anything, as much as she convinced herself Asami didn't need it.

Asami strolled into the kitchen before Hiroshi could continue, and Korra thanked the spirits that she was wearing clothes over her red bathing suit, because her face would have completely blown the cover she'd managed to maintain with Papa Sato. "All ready to go?" she grinned.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Asami smiled, walking around the island to give Hiroshi a kiss on the cheek. "We'll be back later, Dad. Korra insists on torturing me, and Bolin's competition is this afternoon."

"Oh please. You're going to love it," Korra assured.

"We'll see."

"Good luck," Hiroshi chuckled at his daughter. "And Korra? Take care of her," he added, once Asami was out of earshot.

Her ears burned at the request, but she gave him a serious nod, both of them knowing she'd never had to be told.

She jogged outside where Asami was carefully finagling her surfboard in with the others Korra had sticking out of the back.

"Have fun with my father?" she cajoled.

"Oh yeah, lots," Korra laughed. "I promised him we'd hang out later."

"What?"

"Yeah we're basically going to become best friends after you leave, so get used to it."

Asami huffed as she got into the truck. "You can't replace this. Even with another Sato."

"Do you think your dad can read minds?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Well, I can't hang out with him if he knows I'm always thinking about what you look like naked."

"Korra!" Asami pinched her arm crossly, secretly loving the fact that Korra could admit thinking about her in that way.

"It's true! It was like the whole time I was talking to him I kept thinking he had to know how I felt, cause like, he _made_ you."

"Stop."

"Don't you think that when you hang out with my parents?"

"No!" Asami laughed out. "I think about how I feel about you, and fine yes, that I'm glad they _made_ you but I can talk to them without imagining you _naked_."

Korra grinned across at her. "Are you thinking about it now though?"

"No," Asami said, letting all the humor leave her voice.

"What about now?"

"Korra. Drive."

"What if I take off my shirt?"

"Then I'll go back inside and you can teach someone else to surf," Asami smiled sweetly. (She was thinking about it. But she wouldn't give Korra the satisfaction.)

"No! I'll be good," Korra promised, pulling out of the driveway. "You're the best!"

"I know," Asami chuckled. When they reached the end of the drive, she took up Korra's hand and contentedly held it in her lap the rest of the way to the beach, letting the morning breeze flow through her hair.

* * *

Teaching Asami to surf was much easier than Korra had anticipated. For as much as Asami complained about it (mostly because she hated when her hair got wet), she was naturally balanced and an intelligent adult, meaning less than an hour into the lesson (after multiple wipeouts), Asami eventually noticed the patterns in the swells quickly enough to catch a tiny wave Korra pulled her through. She whooped triumphantly as she stood on the board and when the wave broke, she attempted to look back towards Korra, and immediately lost her balance and fell in again.

Korra retrieved the board and paddled back to where her friend was wading.

"That was great!"

"It would have been greater if I made it all the way!"

"Here, how about I help you with the next one?"

"Okay."

Korra pulled Asami up onto the board with her, and instructed her to sit on her knees towards the nose as she paddled out. When they passed the point of the tiny waves, further than Asami had dared to go by herself, she panicked.

"Korra, where are we going?" she asked nervously. She could swim, but there was something about wiping out in the open ocean that was not particularly appealing.

"Tandem surf!" Korra laughed, turning the board around to wait on a bigger swell. "Now hold on. You can try to stand if you want, but do it slowly so you don't topple us over."

"Is this a good idea?"

"Bo and I do it all the time!"

"So that's a no."

Korra kissed Asami's shoulder as she gripped the sides of the board even tighter when a swell passed underneath them. "Relax," she laughed. "I'll tell you which one."

"Korra."

"You can hold on to me when I stand. I won't do anything crazy, I promise."

"Crazy for you and crazy for me are defined two _very_ different ways," Asami pointed out.

"Shh, here we go!"

Korra paddled furiously behind Asami to pull her extra weight, but eventually she felt the back of the board rise and Korra stand up with it. She let go of the sides of the board to grab onto Korra's leg, and screamed as they descended and Korra cut a little to the left to avoid the breaking wave. She felt Korra kneel back down and wrap her arms around her shoulders as they sped across, and before she could ask why, Korra redirected them and launched them up over the top of the wave rather than riding it out, cannonballing them back into the sea.

Their massive splash literally drowned the sounds of Asami's screams, and she felt Korra's strong arms pulling them back up towards the surface. They had barely broken it when she turned around in Korra's arms, frantic, but also excited.

"What the fuck was that!"

"That, was a tandem surf, my friend," Korra tells her, squeezing Asami through her nervous laughs.

"That was amazing!"

"Want to go again?" Korra asked excitedly.

"Not a chance," Asami responded immediately, kissing Korra on the nose. "As much as I appreciate your lessons, it is safe to say I am surfed out for today."

They swum back towards the beach, Korra retrieving the abandoned board along the way before they slumped down on the shore. She caught Asami's foot before she could stand and run back to their towels and hovered over her in the sand.

"Can I help you?" Asami asked politely, both of them still grinning wildly from the adrenaline rush.

"Yes, you can actually," Korra informed, in her most business like tone. "I believe you owe me kisses for not letting you drown."

"I _can_ swim, you know," Asami teased, pushing Korra's wet hair out of her face.

"Yeah but those waves are treacherous, even for experienced swimmers."

"Did they tell you that in lifeguard class?"

"Yes. It's my duty to protect the public."

"Fine. How many do I owe?"

"The going rate is a thousand."

"How about twenty?"

"Five hundred," Korra negotiated.

"Ten."

"Twenty it is!"

They kissed as the waves broke at their feet, well surpassing the negotiated twenty, and Korra praising Asami's little red bathing suit, and Asami drawing patterns in the sand stuck to Korra's back. They would have reached close to a hundred, if they weren't interrupted by Asami's worst nightmare.

"Oh my god, are you two recreating _From Here to Eternity?_ Look at them Bo!" came Opal's shrieking voice in the distance.

"Oh my god, please tell me it's not her," Asami begged, breaking their kiss and pulling away from Korra. "We were supposed to never let her see us kiss, she is never going to leave me alone!" she whispered frantically.

 _"Ahhhh-samiiiiii!"_

Asami buried her face in her hands. "No, no, no!"

"Is she really that bad?" Korra asked, looking up and waving.

"Yes!"

"You know she's back for good now, right?"

"I have been dreading it since before she left," Asami said, oof-ing as Opal clapped her on the back.

"Well if it isn't Asami _Dirty Dog_ Sato. Are we interrupting?!"

"No."

"Yes," Korra antagonized, loving how much Opal bothered Asami. Asami shot her a death stare.

"Asami, I have to know," Opal interrupted again, kneeling and holding Asami's face in her hands. "Has anybody _ever_ kissed you the way Korra does?" She asked in a devastatingly low voice, mocking the oldtime actress from the movie.

Asami got up and chased after Opal who had already squealed away as soon as she'd finished her sentence.

"I bet you're excited," Korra laughed, now that it was just her and Bolin.

He sniggered. "Am I ever! We can go on double dates now!"

"I don't know if Asami could live through that. I didn't know Opal made fun of her so much."

"Only about you," Bolin told her. "Ever since she found out about Asami's crush it's been like this."

"Don't tell Asami I said this, because it's at her expense, but I think it's hilarious."

"So does Opal. She sits at home sometimes just to come up with things to bother her with."

"Sounds like you found yourself a keeper," Korra laughed, as Asami and Opal returned.

"Did you two make up?" Korra asked.

"Forget about making _up_. Tell me about all the making _out_ I just witnessed, since Sato over here won't!"

Asami rolled her eyes and immediately walked away from the group and back towards the umbrella she and Korra had set up earlier. (She was now extremely thankful Korra had picked her up three hours early, because they got three hours alone that they would not have now that Opal was around.)

"I would say Asami doesn't kiss and tell, but she toootally does," Bolin laughed, helping Opal along as they stood to join Asami under the umbrella. "Maybe you're not being charming enough, Ope."

"What do you mean? If I had a town named after me it would be Charm City. Maybe Korra over here will tell me?" Opal asked hopefully, stopping them in their tracks.

"I mean, what do you want to know that Bolin hasn't told you already?" she chuckled.

"Everything."

"I already told her everything," Bolin confirmed.

Korra chuckled again. "I know."

"I need to hear it from the horse's mouth, okay?" Opal insisted, stomping her foot. "I missed all the good stuff."

"Well, you probably heard about our disaster of a night out where Asami almost slapped me in the face outside T _he Spirit World_. We eventually spilled the beans on the train ride home, we've made out every day after that, and we've been on a few dates, but other than that, we're pretty much exactly the same. Except for, you know. Now we put our tongues in each other's mouths."

"That is so romantic," Opal jeered. "I can't believe you've been pining for each other all this time!"

"You guys were basically dating throughout high school anyway," Bolin pointed out. "You were so whipped."

"Shutup, Bo."

"You don't even deny it!"

"Have you done the do?" Opal butted in.

"What?"

"You know. The dirty. Made whoopee. Nailed. Churned the butter. Knocked boots. Jumped each other's bones. Done the bedroom rodeo," she explains, dancing a little.

"Is that what you and Bolin do?"

"No," Bolin cut in. "We only make sweet, tender love. Though I do have a cowboy hat, if you're interested in the last one?"

Korra stuck out her tongue. "Gross, and no," she told Opal. "We have not yet gotten it on."

Opal gasped, gripping the straps of Korra's bathing suit. "What on this rotating _Earth_ are you waiting on, Korra?"

"What! I don't know!"

"Get it together, water tribe," Opal scolded. "You don't leave a girl like that waiting!"

"Hey! It's not like I don't _want_ to! Please, are you seeing that bathing suit?"

"I am, and I am surprised you've managed to keep it together all this time."

"I have _some_ self control."

"Debatable," Bolin added. "I've seen you eat cake."

"I'm starting to see why Asami doesn't like when the two of you are together."

"Seriously, Kor, what are you waiting on!"

"I just- I want her to know how much I like her before we jump into all that! I feel like every time I've tried to tell her, I don't say enough, or I don't say it right, and we've known each other forever! I want it to feel like I gave us enough time, or something." Korra trailed off.

"That's sweet and all, buddy, but you realize you guys have a little over a month, before she goes?" Bolin reminded her. _Like she needs reminding._

"I know. I'll figure it out, okay?"

"Stop talking about me!" Asami's yell comes from twenty feet up the beach.

"Then tell me your secrets!" Opal yelled back, leaving Korra and Bolin to join Asami.

"Anywho, are you ready to tear this competition up, bud?" Korra slapped Bolin on the back, changing the subject to the event of the day.

"Am I ever! I only ate four bananas this morning! I'm saving my appetite for when I win," Bolin tells her.

"Good job! Let's go sign in, figure out your heats and all that good stuff."

"Yes, coach!" Bolin saluted.

They leave the beach, waving to their girlfriends and Korra giving Asami an apologetic shrug as her afternoon with Opal is sealed.

* * *

They are silent for a few moments as Opal settles in next to her friend, who is already laid out, soaking up the sun, fully prepared to avoid any prying questions. That doesn't stop Opal from sidling up next to her, and gently begin prodding.

"Hey."

"Hey Opal."

"Did you miss me?"

"I did."

"How much?"

"Only a little," Asami smirks, the rest of her face hidden by giant sunglasses.

"What a lie," Opal scoffs.

Asami is silent again, and Opal can't help but snap.

" _Please_ tell me, Asami, _please please please_ , you know Korra and Bolin are _terrible_ storytellers, they leave out all the pertinent emotional information and have negative attention spans and _please_ , don't make me remind you that I jumped into a terrifyingly deep part of the ocean with you that was insanely hard to get out of and is probably the only reason Korra figured out you love her-"

"Okay, okay!" Asami relents at Opal's begging, ripping her sunglasses off to look her in the eye. " _Damn_ , Opal, I was just trying to torture you like _you've_ been torturing _me_ the past _two years_ , you'd think someone that dishes it out like you do could handle _twenty seconds_ of their own medicine!"

"I can't, please tell me," Opal grins.

Asami pretends to consider this. "Only if you promise to stop haranguing me."

"Okay but before that I have one teeny question."

"What."

"Have you sent her any naked pictures yet?"

"No."

"Are you going to?"

"No. Maybe. No!"

"Okay, I promise to stop now. Only if what you say is good!"

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Weelll, Korra told me you guys haven't slept together yet."

Asami immediately turns red. "I don't know why I agreed to this."

Opal reaches across and pulls Asami into a non-comforting hug. "Because you know if you don't I'll annoy this shit out of you until you do."

"I know," Asami groans. "Alright, no, we haven't."

Opal groans in mock pain for Asami. "It's almost been three weeks since you hooked up! What am I missing?"

"Nothing, we've hit a lot of triples, which is amazing, but nothing out of the park yet."

Opal smirks. "Is it all you dreamed of and more?"

Asami shivers at the thought of her latest night with Korra. "So much more," she groans. "I sometimes don't even believe its really happening. Her everything is just so…hot."

"How the fuck have you kept it in your pants?" Opal yells exasperatedly. "The Asami Sato I know would have asked Korra to draw her like one of her French girls and then taken her in the backseat of a car weeks ago."

"I thought so too! And so did fifteen-year-old Asami. Also, did you know Korra made me watch that movie last month and I cried like a baby or would you have made that reference anyway?"

"You hadn't seen _Titanic_ before last month?"

"Nope. So many things make so much more sense now."

"I can see why Korra doesn't want to sleep with you."

"What!?"

"I'm kidding," Opal laughs. "She does, _obviously_. But she says she wants you to know how she feels first, or whatever. You guys are so _lame_."

Asami chuckles. "She gives me a different love confession every time we go out. I think she hid it for so long she's trying to express months worth of pent up emotions, even though they're essentially all the same sentiment. It's cute. I like being with her like that."

"You'll drive the poor girl nuts," Opal chides. "Or is that what you want?"

"Just a little," Asami winks. "Mostly so I don't throw myself at her. It's just different," she continues, digging her toes in the sand. "Because we have all the love and trust stuff settled already, the sex just seems out of order. And I want it to feel right."

"So let's play a game," Opal smirks, rubbing her hands together mischievously.

"I hope it's not as creepy as you're making it sound," Asami grimaces.

"No, it's the same game you've been playing all along! Make it unbearable for you two to not be sleeping together, and it will come so much more naturally! No pun intended."

"You are awful, Opal."

"I just want to see two of my bestest friends have an amazing, mind-blowing time at the rodeo."

"Have you ever been to the rodeo?"

"The bedroom one, not a real one."

"Just making sure you knew what you were talking about."

"Trust me 'Sami. Korra will love it."

* * *

"Korra!" Bolin yells. "My heat is next!"

"Huh?"

"We're up! What's the plan?"

"Uhh-"

"What the heck are you looking at?"

Korra flips her phone around so he can see the photo Asami sent her, of Asami in a sheer pink lingerie slip, biting her lip, and playing with her hair.

"Ew!" He recoils, upon registering that it's a picture of _Asami_. "Why would you show me that!"

"You know this is Opal's doing, Bolin. They were at one of the shops at the pier. Buying _lingerie_."

"So you should probably thank her because from the looks of it you're enjoying it enough to forget that we're in the middle of a high stress situation here!"

"Fuck! Okay," she shakes her head, attempting to get the image of Asami out of her mind and focus. "Uh, it looks like the waves have been breaking left, and I hooked you up with a shorter leash. I'd say combo two or three, this heat. You'll score eight or higher, no problem, if you pull it off. Just keep your balance."

"No prob, Coach," he takes up his board. "Try not to lose your shit, okay? You'll be able to go home and tear off that lingerie in no time."

She swallows down a wave of desire and growls. " _Good luck_ , Bo."

He bounds off, and she dares to look at her phone again.

 _Miss Sato: 2:32p.m: What do you think?_

 _Korra: 2:35p.m: i think youre driving me crazy_

 _Miss Sato: 2:36p.m: In a good way right? Like in the take off all your clothes way? Not a serial killer way?_

 _Korra: 2:37p.m: tell opal to go back to zaofu_

 _Miss Sato: 2:37p.m: Since you had no opinion on the last one, how about this?_

Korra tries not to crush her phone in her hands or lose a pint of blood through her nose at the next photo Asami sends, and instead, focus on Bolin's heat.

* * *

Three hours later, Bolin is awarded second place in the competition (he would have made first, if it weren't for one unfortunate slip) and five hundred bucks, which he immediately insists they spend on food.

They walk back to where Asami and Opal are posted, and Opal runs up to him and hugs him tightly.

"That was awesome, babe! And not bad for your first time coaching, Korra!" she adds, pinching her cheek.

"We would have gotten first if I'd waxed more of the board!" she complains. "He slipped cause I was distracted!" she insists, burying Bolin's board in the sand.

"Distracted? By what?" Opal asks innocently.

"You know what, you evil, evil spirit," Korra chides.

Asami pulls a pouting Korra to sit between her legs, and embraces her tightly. "Awe, I'm sorry, love. We figured with Bolin out in the water you'd get bored all alone at the shore."

"It was nothing she could have prevented," Bolin promises them. "My stance was too wide on the flip anyway, so don't sweat it so much, Kor!"

"See? If you're pupil still loves you, everything will be okay!" Asami laughs.

"You guys are the worst." Korra continues to pout.

"Are you saying you didn't like it?" Asami whispers, so only Korra can hear.

"No! I liked it," Korra grumbles. "A little too much."

"Is that so?" Asami smirks, rubbing Korra's shoulders. "Don't you want to find out which one I bought?"

Korra only slumps down further against Asami, so her breath isn't so hot in her ears.

"Well, as much as we'd love to stick around and chat, Bolin and I have some catching up to do," Opal interjects. Korra surmises she and Asami planned this. "I take it you two will be okay alone?" She winks at Asami. _Yep._

"Of course. When will we see you again?" Asami asks.

"Well now that I'm rich, I'd like to suggest a triple date!" Bolin puffs out his chest, presenting his check. "You know. Keep it classy."

"Well that rules Opal out," Asami sniggers, as Opal flicks sand at her.

"I'll have you know I'm very classy, thank you very much. Now if you'll excuse us. I believe Bolin is taking me to the rodeo."

Both Korra and Asami stick their tongues out. "Gross!"

"Tell me how gross the rodeo is when you're riding that stallion, 'Sams!" Opal shouts. "I'd _looooovee_ to hear about it!"

"Please leave!" Asami blushes, feeling Korra chuckle against her. "Ignore her."

"I can't, I like the sound of that last part," Korra laughs again, turning around to face Asami, who is still shaking her head at Opal's audacity.

"So do I, I just hate that Opal is the one that said it."

"She's the worst," Korra smiles, removing Asami's hands from her face, and leaning in to kiss her. "Let's get out of here, huh?"

Asami melts a little at the tender look in Korra's eyes, and agrees.

* * *

They change in the truck and walk up the boardwalk to grab a bite to eat. The sandwich place they choose is relatively small, and makes Korra's favorite triple decker with three types of meat and cheese.

They sit together at a small table outside overlooking the ocean, and Asami scoots her chair closer to Korra's so she can run her hand up and down her thigh absently as they eat. She can't tell if Korra has always eaten this sloppily or she's being affected by her hands, so she kisses her ear and decides to leave Korra in peace, at least for now.

The peace lasts for all of thirty seconds, before two boys pull up two chairs across from them at the tiny table, take the sandwiches out of their hands and take two gigantic bites, that being most of what was left of Korra's.

"Are you serious Wing!" Korra whines. That was her _favorite_ sandwich.

"Hey Kor," he smiles through all the food in his mouth.

"Hey, Asami," Wei adds in, not wanting to botch the greeting.

"Am I ever going to get to talk to Wing or am I condemned to only talk to you?" she asks Wei, who she was always stuck with when Korra was with his brother.

"Condemned I'm afraid. Though we could work something out, since I hear you two are a thang now," Wei smiles, reaching for her sandwich again.

She slaps his hand. "Who told you that?"

"Ope, duh, she can't keep a secret for her life," Wing says, tapping Wei's shoulder. They switch places, so Wing can talk to Asami.

"Happy?" Wing asks.

"No," Asami smiles. "Cause now I have to talk to one of my thang's exes."

"So its true!" Wei laughs, cheering. "Way to go Korra, you found someone more attractive than me!"

"More attractive than you singularly or plurally?"

"Singularly."

"I dated Wing."

"And we look exactly the same."

"Your hair is dumber!" Korra insists. "And Asami's hotter than both of you together. And less annoying."

"I'd have to agree," Wing says, staring Asami down from his seat across from her, which isn't very far away. "So this means, by the transitive property, you and me have kissed!"

"I don't think it works that way," Asami says hesitantly. "And are you hitting on me?"

"Nope. You guys are perfect. And we wouldn't want to set Korra over there off."

"Looks like you're pretty close," Wei adds in, as he eats the crumbs left over on Korra's dish.

"I hate you both," Korra groans.

"I want to say they're worse than Opal, but they're not," Asami smiles.

"This is why Asami is our favorite," Wing says, winking at her. "You know by transitive property you've also kissed Wei, right?"

"I've never kissed Wei," Korra says.

"Keep telling yourself that, Kor," Wei laughs. "But that aside, have you seen Opal? She said she was on the beach but we haven't seen her."

"She went to the rodeo with Bolin," Asami tells them.

"That's gross!" They say together. "We never should have asked."

"She loves it," Asami continues. "She says eight seconds on a bucking bronco is all she needs-"

"We're leaving," Wing decides, dusting the crumbs off his shirt. "And if you ever need to punch one of Korra's exes, you can always call me, Asami." He blows her a kiss.

"Uh, thanks?"

"Call me," Wei motions to Korra as he gets up after his brother. "We can finish what we started, once she's out of the picture," he points to Asami.

"We never started anything!" Korra yells, as they walk away, but they're already out of earshot. "They're definitely worse than Opal."

Asami seems to be contemplating the whirlwind that just occurred. "I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to be offended or flattered. And they're really not."

"Whatever you say. I'm getting another sandwich."

* * *

Once they decide its best not to go anywhere they could possibly run into anyone they know, they drive to the secluded tree lined parking lot behind the library (where they had met successfully a few times before for, well, _activities_ ) because it is very apparent nobody in their town goes to the library (Wing and Wei certainly don't), and it's the only thing that closes at five, leaving them relatively alone. Their shirts are off in record time, and they thank the spirits Tonraq let Korra have the truck, because the backseat has so much more space than Asami's car.

Korra would be lying if she said the pictures Asami sent her earlier hadn't fueled a bit of their rash decision to end up here in broad daylight, but she figures the slightly tinted windows will be of some assistance in case they're intruded upon. Which, frankly, is the least of her worries as Asami grinds against her.

" _Fuck,_ Asami," she groans, as Asami nips at her neck. "You're so hot. _Shit_."

"Yeah?" Asami urges her on, reveling in her longtime friend's praise. She feels Korra's hands roam underneath her bra, and she chokes back a groan. They'd become extremely comfortable with each other's bodies in the past few weeks, to the point where nothing but good manners was stopping them from well. The bedroom rodeo.

"Yeah," Korra groans again as Asami's hips slide easily over hers, even though they're still clothed. " _God,_ Asami. I want to fuck you."

Asami presses her mouth against Korra's at the confession, and moans as Korra squeezes her. "I want you to fuck me too," she confesses, their haze becoming almost unbearable. "So badly," she adds as Korra bites her lip, and she feels her bra slip away. She imagines Korra's tongue doing the things it's currently doing in _other_ places, a little lower on her body, and she snaps. She forgets where they are, which she suspects Korra already has, and pulls Korra up and backwards, so her weight is pressing Asami into the seat, and her hips are pushing roughly into Asami's.

Korra wants to be more chivalrous, wants to not share her first time with Asami in the back of a car, (because she'd told herself if she every got to this point, their relationship would have nothing in common with Asami's relationship with Iroh), but she just _can't_ bring herself to stop- they're doing things she has only dreamed of with the most _perfect person on the planet_ and Asami probably doesn't give a shit where they are as long as its Korra on top of her, admiring her, and no one else.

She feels Asami guide the hand that's not holding her up lower, to the hem of her shorts, and Korra takes it the rest of the way, feeling Asami through her underwear. Asami's high pitched moan is decidedly the hottest thing she's ever heard, and Korra bangs her head on the doorframe to stop herself from simply tearing Asami's clothes off and taking her rougher than she'd ever remembered taking Kuvira.

At the second knock on the doorframe, Asami tries to tell Korra not to hurt herself, but she's interrupted by another voice- harsher and more authoritative.

 _"Police! Open up!"_

Both their eyes fly open and Korra rips her hand out of Asami's pants, before Asami pushes her off and into the foot well. Asami covers her mouth in an attempt not to yelp at Korra's fall, but Korra is already recovering, throwing Asami's shirt at her, and rummaging around for her own.

The harsh knocks come again, and the voice again:

 _"Window down, now!"_

Korra leaps into the front seat (her shirt on backwards and accidentally popping the horn) before looking back to make sure Asami is decent- if not disheveled, and rolling the window down.

Asami holds her head down in embarrassment, not daring to look the officer in the eye- but feels when he shines his flashlight at her, and hears when he asks her if she's there of her own volition, and not because Korra forced her.

She's about to respond when something clicks and she sees Korra leap out the window of the truck and the flashlight topple out of the officers hands.

She panics and hurriedly exits out the back door, only to see Korra and the officer, who sounds like he can't breathe, wrestling on the pavement.

 _"Are you fucking kidding me!"_ she yells, and Korra stops her assault to look up at her girlfriend, who looks like she's about to explode.

They're interrupted by another one of Mako's roaring laughs, as he pounds his fist on the pavement, tears streaming down his face. He can't breathe enough air to fuel his laughter.

Asami pushes Korra off of him so she can slap him herself, a chorus of frantic " _you have to be fucking kidding me"_ leaving her mouth with every assault.

Eventually, Korra's panic settles and she can't help but chuckle along at Mako's raucous laughter, and Asami's complete loss of chill.

She's thankful Asami doesn't hit too hard unless she's punching Tahno, because she'd hate for them to get in trouble for assaulting an officer. She lifts Asami off of Mako, still flailing, and sits her down on the hood of the truck, kissing her forehead to get her to calm down.

Mako eventually rolls over to his back, groaning in weak chuckles at what he assumes is his own hilarity.

"I can't fucking believe you, Mako," Asami sighs, her voice rough from yelling, and the stress of the past five minutes settling in as she slumps her head onto Korra's shoulder.

"You are a turd," Korra agrees. "I nearly had a fucking heart attack. _Dick_."

"Oh man, it was totally worth it," he wheezes. "Your faces," he coughs, unable to finish his sentence. "I heard you rummaging around in there, oh god!" He breaks into a new fit of laughs, and Korra has to hold Asami back from jumping off the car.

"Easy, tiger," she laughs. "I've never seen you so riled up!"

"He just- we were-" Asami sputters. "We were gonna- _you know!"_ she whispers.

Korra blushes, almost thankful Mako interrupted. She didn't want it to happen that way, as good as it felt. She would have hated herself even more if it hadn't been Mako to catch them.

"Its okay, 'Sams," she promises, kissing her cheek. "I'll make it up to you," she whispers back, squeezing Asami's hips, before turning back to Mako.

Asami swallows, hating how turned on she is despite the horrific circumstances, and slides off the car to join Korra, who is pulling him up.

"Sorry I jumped you, bud," Korra tells him, dusting off his uniform.

"Its okay," he smiles. "I expected something like that. I _didn't_ expect Sato over here to bum rush me though!"

"Me either!" Korra laughs, and Mako moves over to hug Asami.

"Sorry, if I scared you Asami," he says gently, though Asami doesn't move to hug him back.

He lets go, kissing the top of her head. "You guys are lucky it was me that got the call though- apparently there's a librarian in there that thinks you sell drugs out of this car at night."

 _"Lucky. Right,"_ Asami scoffs.

"No drugs, officer. Just good old-fashioned car sex," Korra jibes. "Though our spot seems to be compromised now."

Mako seems horrified. "Wait, did you guys-"

"NO, thanks to you!" Asami interjects, slapping his arm once more. "We were so close Mako! So close!"

He chuckles sheepishly. "Good thing I got here before the main event, then. Or you'd have really killed me."

"I'm still considering it," Asami pouts, before Korra pulls her into another hug.

"She's having a hard time getting over it," Korra tells him. "I'll take her home."

"Alright," he smiles. "I still have another hour left on the patrol, so I'll see you guys around. And try to pick somewhere less…public, next time."

"Yes sir!" Korra salutes, before leading Asami to the passenger side of the car and opening the door for her.

"You gonna be okay?" she asks, as Asami slumps into the seat.

"Yeah, just give me a few years," Asami groans.

* * *

Korra drives Asami home around dusk after giving her some time to compose herself, and for Korra to fix her shirt. She takes the long way, since it's almost unspoken now that if they drive together, they drag it out for as long as possible.

"Come in," Asami asks Korra, when she walks her up to the door, and her blush is too cute.

"Really?"

"Really. We just have to be a little quiet."

"You're sure? What about your dad?" Korra whispers, as if Hiroshi has super hearing.

"My dad?" Asami laughs. "The house is huge Korra, and we live on opposite ends of it. Plus I'm way too traumatized from earlier to try anything else tonight."

"If he sees me, he'll _know_ ," Korra reminds her.

"He can't read minds."

"You don't know that!"

"Come on," Asami insists, and she pulls Korra inside, only to be met with, speak of the devil, Hiroshi, sitting in the living room and watching something on television.

"Oh god," Korra starts, only to be interrupted by Hiroshi, greeting them.

"You're home early!" he exclaims, and Korra wonders if he waited up just to make sure he'd see Asami, or if _he knows what happened in the car and is going to shoot me with a shotgun._

"Yeah," Asami chuckles, knowing Korra might have a mental breakdown at any moment. But she's surprised he's here too, even though it is rather early. "What are you doing up?"

"Pretty interesting documentary about the construction of the Western Air Temple came on, I must admit it sucked me in," he chuckled. "How did the competition go?"

"Bolin got second place," Asami says, "Pretty good for their first go as teacher and student."

"That's fabulous, Korra," he says. "Maybe coaching is in your future."

"Naw," she squeaks, trying really hard to reign herself in, which is difficult. "Bolin is just good. He's pretty creative in the water."

"Well I hope you don't steal my best intern," Hiroshi chuckles, standing.

"Hey!"

"Besides you, honey," he nods to Asami.

"That's what I thought," Asami smirks.

"Are you staying the night, Korra?" Hiroshi asks.

Korra subtly tries to hide behind Asami when she answers. She doesn't want to be presumptuous regarding Asami, but doesn't want to be rude to Hiroshi. "Not sure, we were going to grab a bite to eat though," she attempts to be convincing.

"Maybe we could have that celebration we were talking about, since you're both here! With your busy schedules I don't know when that will happen again!"

"Dad," Asami tries to intervene, because wow, running into your dad when you're still riled from a highly anticipated (almost) sexual encounter and have just assaulted a police officer is a serious mindfuck- but Korra seems more than enthused at the idea.

"Sure! That sounds like fun!" She watches as Hiroshi moves over to a cabinet that seconds as a bar. Asami walks off to the bathroom to recollect herself properly, cursing Korra for being so friendly.

"Come sit!" he urges, as he tinkers with a few glasses. One of the house staff has already overheard the conversation and moved to the kitchen to retrieve some snacks.

Korra plops down on the couch, no doubt exhausted from the sun and various stresses of day. "I knew there was a secret stash," she grins as Hiroshi pulls out the bottle of cognac she knows he'd been saving for an occasion such as this, and sets it down on the lavish coffee table, along with three glasses.

"And how exactly did you know?" Hiroshi teases, knowing fully well the mischievous nature of his daughters friends. They'd found it raiding his cabinet once after their eighth grade graduation but not touched it because even as thirteen year olds they could see it was worth more than their lives.

"Might have accidentally come across it one day, _exploring_ ," she explains. "But we could tell it was important."

"Not so much important as symbolic," Hiroshi explains. " I have three I've been saving- one for when Asami graduated high school, one for when she graduates college, and one for her wedding day. My parents didn't have much, so my father used to work odd jobs and such. People didn't always have money, so they sometimes paid him in what liquor they had. He only shared it with me on momentous occasions, and those were my three, though, they didn't happen in that order."

"Wow, so it's like a Sato tradition!"

"Something like that," he chuckles. "I figured Asami would think it was pretty "lame" to celebrate with just her old man though, so I wanted you here."

Korra grins nervously, (unaware that she'd agreed to something so dear to Mr. Sato's heart), and attempts not to spill to Hiroshi that she's _madly_ in love with his daughter, and hopes that she's there for all three events he's been saving for. "Thanks for inviting me," she manages. "I'm glad I could be here for it."

Asami eventually returns, looking much more put together than she had been before, and sitting between Korra and her father, (knowing that if he made any more meaningful eye contact with Korra she might panic and blurt out what they'd done earlier). "Did I miss the party?"

"Its only just starting," Korra smiles.

Hiroshi motions to the bottle and tells Asami what he'd explained to Korra. "Your mother and I bought this together on our honeymoon on Ember Island, about five years _after_ we were married," he laughs. "We had to wait until Future Industries took off before we could do anything fun!"

He hands them the small glasses, with careful measures of cognac poured out, and Asami examines it reverently, managing to keep herself composed, before looking over at Korra who is not even trying to hide how utterly overwhelmed she is at everything going on around her.

"Now, it might be a little strong," he warns. "Its really an acquired taste. I _hated_ it the first twenty times I drank it. On the twenty first, it was bearable," he chuckles.

Korra raises her glass, smiling softly at her best friend. "To Asami."

Asami tries to hide her blush as her father echoes the sentiment, and gives a little speech about how proud of her he is, and Korra agrees, before they take their first sip.

Hiroshi laughs as Korra's eye twitches, and she looks like she's trying to decide if she hates it. She doesn't want to, but its so so so hard not to.

"Told you," he says.

Asami sips it as if she's been drinking it since she was five, rubbing Korra's back. "Only nineteen more times, Kor."

"Great," Korra chokes out. "Great."

"I'll get you some ice," Hiroshi laughs, standing. "Kills the flavor a bit."

As soon as he's out of the room, Asami grabs Korra's hand and squeezes it. This seems to pull Korra out of her disgust. She moves to sit closer.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Asami smiles tiredly. "Just a lot in one day."

Korra hazards a hasty kiss to her temple. "Yeah, not at all what I expected this morning," she laughs. "Do you really want me to stay?"

"Yeah," Asami nods. "But can we hang out down here a little longer?"

"Of course," Korra agrees. "I'm going to make myself like this stuff," she says, motioning to her glass. "Plus you know I have a soft spot for dads."

"I know," Asami smiles. "And Kor?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Korra grins, and instinctively takes another sip from her glass, before she remembers she hates it.

"Ugh. I love you, too, 'Sami," she manages. "Why is it so bad?"


	16. Under Control

Korra had woken up next to Asami hundreds of times, but it was never like they did now. Korra had always slept like a starfish, regardless of whose bed it was, her limbs claiming seventy-five percent of whatever sleeping space they shared. Asami always had to curl up in the leftover corner Korra couldn't reach, which had never really bothered them because that's how Asami slept anyway. But, as they grew bigger and their beds didn't, it was only a matter of time (which was looking like right about now) before Asami would have to abandon her corner to reclaim some prime real estate- right on top of Korra. All those years of poor sleepover etiquette were now being paid for, as Asami's body usually found itself almost entirely embracing and/ or crushing Korra's left side.

If Korra didn't sleep like a boulder she might have been able to escape the weight beforehand, but when she groggily awoke, her leg and arms would go from zero to inconsolably restless incredibly fast. Asami always felt good on top of her though, albeit a dead weight, so she always let her sleep. This morning, Korra settled on stroking Asami's bare calves with her restless leg, and playing with her hair with her restless hand. When Asami didn't wake, she closed her eyes again and tried not to let it become overwhelming how long ago they could have been sharing space like this, if she'd only trusted her feelings a bit more.

Eventually, a smiling face emerged from the black tangle of hair on her chest, which moved up to kiss her cheek. The body made no attempt to move, though, so Korra rolled onto her side, and did something she didn't usually, and pulled Asami in closer- who chuckled and nuzzled in contentedly.

"What?"

"I didn't know you were into cuddling," Asami rasped in her morning voice, smiling into Korra's shirt.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've only ever seen you show affection by wrestling."

"I cuddle Naga all the time."

"Because you know she'd bite your ears off if you didn't."

"Are you going to bite my ears off?" Korra laughed, kissing the one of Asami's ears she could reach.

"Only if you stop."

"I like my ears, so I won't."

"Good. I like them too."

Korra was grateful they were at Asami's and not her house this time, because her parents would undoubtedly have tried to wake them up for breakfast or her father would be practicing his tribal drumming or something else loud they did at inappropriate times in the morning. Hiroshi probably thought he'd "taken up" enough of their time the night they'd "hung out" to intrude again, and usually left them in peace. She almost felt bad she was keeping Asami trapped in bed in her lest few weeks at home, but Asami didn't seem to want to move either, so she let it slide.

They fell asleep again, not bothering to check the time.

* * *

A few hours later, Asami's hands roaming under Korra's shirt woke her up. She saw Asami's smirk through her one open eye, and moved her own hands under Asami's shirt, only at the back.

They kissed dreamily in their sleepy haze, but since they'd taken to sleeping in each other's beds once more, they'd always remained extremely mindful of their lust, lest they repeat their mishap from Korra's car the week before. Korra had a nagging suspicion it was more than just the fear of Mako barging in again that was keeping Asami back however. Asami had her reasons, she figured. Korra had her own.

It was Asami to pull away first this time, and she looked up at Korra guiltily. "Should we get up?"

Korra groaned. "If you want."

"I don't want to, but we should," Asami reasoned. "I'm surprised you're not hungry."

"I am."

"Starving yourself for me?"

"I'd rather starve than lose my ears," Korra chuckled.

Asami pinched the taught skin of Korra's abdomen. "Well then, I release you from cuddle duty," she said regally, pinching quicker as Korra squirmed.

"Hey! Don't pinch!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Asami teased, enlisting the help of her other hand.

"You don't want to play this game," Korra tried to say seriously, as she twitched and nearly rolled off the bed.

"I don't have much more time for our games, so I think I do," Asami insisted.

Korra swore she heard a hint of sadness in Asami's voice, but had to deal with the present problem before she could breach that topic. She sat up and wrapped her arms around both of Asami's arms and her torso before crashing down on top of her, using her weight to keep her pinned.

"Not fair," Asami pouted.

"You wanted to play. Now it's payback time."

"What are you going to do to me?" Asami asked seductively- but Korra was to focused on how much Asami was going to hate her upcoming punishment to let it fluster her.

"This."

Korra latched her mouth onto Asami's neck and began to suck on it roughly, detaching only when Asami began to thrash in her grip.

"No! No h _ickies Korra!_ "

Korra only laughed and dove in again, this time nibbling a little to make sure the red mark was pronounced.

"I hate you!"

Asami continued to struggle, trying to nudge Korra's head away with her own headbutts, but Korra only let her go once she was sure the mark would stay.

"You're the worst!" Asami chastised, pinching Korra's side as she laughed at her own hilarity.

"Hey! You don't want another one, do you?"

"We'll it doesn't matter any more, now that I have this thing!"

"So you'll let me do it?"

"No!" Asami threw her pillow at Korra's head before checking to see how bad the damage was in the reflection of her phone. "You're lucky I like you."

"I know." Korra moved to embrace Asami again, burying her face in Asami's belly. "I like you too."

Asami couldn't resist the feeling of Korra near her, and forgot her anger in favor of leaning on the headboard and running her fingers through Korra's hair, pouting grumpily.

After a few minutes, Korra spoke up, rolling over so her head was in Asami's lap, and she could look up at her.

"You knowww… you'd have a lot more time for games if you didn't go to the Fire Nation," she pointed out softly, picking up Asami's hand that was resting on her torso and playing with her fingers. "I hear its like, really hot and basically no one likes it there."

"Yeah?" Asami seemed to follow Korra's train of thought and furrowed her brow. "Who told you that?"

"President Izumi," Korra continued. "She's was all like, why did I decide to be the President of the worst place ever, when I could live in Republic City? Asami would be crazy to come back here! You need to tell her, Korra."

Asami smiled down softly at Korra. "How come you didn't tell me you had a meeting with the President of the Fire Nation?"

Korra entwined and untwined their fingers. "She didn't want anyone to think she was having an affair with some hot young piece from the S.W.T, so it was like, really low key so the press wouldn't find out."

Asami tried to smooth the creases in Korra's brow with her free hand. "You could have invited me."

"That would have been weird, cause we mostly talked about you! She wouldn't have been as honest with me if you were there, obviously."

"I see. So what about me did you talk about?" Asami played along.

"Well first of all I told her that basically everyone I've met that's _insanely attractive_ has some Fire Nation in them. It's like the spirits heard "fire" and were like, well clearly these people have to be _smokin'."_

Asami chuckled. "So what did the spirits make people from the Southern Water Tribe?"

"Cool, duh."

"Huh." Asami pretended to contemplate their fake conversation. "But you're not cool, so that can't be right."

Korra sat up. "I am cool! It's not my fault that you refuse to acknowledge it."

"Sorry!" Asami kissed her nose and coaxed her to lay back down. "I'll try harder."

"Good."

"Was that all?"

Korra looked away shyly, trying not to give away her nerves. "No," she started, tapping her fingers together. "This little Fire Nation bird flew in during the meeting and reminded me RCU has rolling admissions, and to tell you you'd tooooootallyyy get in if you applied."

Asami peered down at Korra skeptically. It seemed they'd reached the heart of the matter. "Did my dad tell you to say that?"

"No," Korra insisted quickly. "A little bird, 'Sami."

"Birds can talk in the Fire Nation?"

Korra scoffed in mock anger. " _That's_ what you're taking out of this fake conversation?!"

"Talking birds are really scary! I don't know if I want to go to the Fire Nation if they have those!"

"They are scary, Asami," Korra agreed. "Haven't you seen _the Hunger Games_? Talking birds fuck up a lot of people."

"I know!" Asami frowned. "It's just, your talking bird sounds a lot like my dad."

Korra sat up, and ran her hand along Asami's hipbone. "It sounds a little like me, too," she confessed softly.

Asami looked up at her sadly.

"Not that I have any right to tell you where to go!" Korra backtracked quickly. "I just- your dad may have promised me a lot of free food if I convinced you-"

"That's why you want me to stay?"

"And for you! I like…you, of course I want you to stay. I-" She decided to shut up before she said anything else stupid, and take a step back.

Asami didn't say anything either, but she seemed to be contemplating Korra's words rather seriously.

Korra rubbed her eyes. In school she'd barely convinced herself that maybe she wouldn't be the worst girlfriend ever if she had kissed Asami that night in the coffeehouse, when Asami had told her she had chosen a school on the other side of the _Earth._ Korra didn't want to be the stupid kid from home that kept Asami tied down from what she wanted. She still didn't want to be, except now she had kissed her.

She wanted to be happy and supportive -and she was- so much so she'd neglected to ask Asami anything about why or how or anything about her decision. How could she, when all her questions would just make it seem like she was being selfish and _un_ supportive, and well, she didn't particularly want to hear about how exciting Asami's life without her would be?

"What are you trying to say, Korra?" Korra could tell Asami was trying to stay collected, but it seemed nothing was coming out the way they wanted it to. "Do you-"

"Should we not have kissed?" Korra asked warily, before Asami could finish. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say too, but saying nothing hadn't been working for them, and it had been nagging her since even before they'd done it.

"What?"

"Was it selfish of us? Of me? I knew you were leaving but I wanted you so I just let that trump any of the reasons I shouldn't."

Asami seemed to follow her trend of thought. "Do you regret doing it?"

"No! But, wouldn't this have been easier if we hadn't?"

"I guess," Asami conceded sadly. "I wanted it too. I knew it would hurt at some point, but I had to know."

Korra pulled Asami into her and kissed her softly on the lips. She didn't want to be sad, or for Asami to be sad! She wasn't supposed to be the thing that made Asami sad. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up at all.

When they parted, Asami rested her forehead on Korra's and lightly scratched at the hair at the back of Korra's neck- her new tell for whenever she was nervous.

"What is it?"

Asami pulled away a bit so she could search Korra's eyes. "Do you think this," she motioned between them, "will last if I leave?"

Korra frowned in thought, looking down at their tangled legs before making eye contact with Asami again. "I'll love you, and I'll be there for you, no matter what happens between us," she said finally. "If that's what you mean."

She wasn't sure if it was, because before she could decide Asami kissed her again quickly, and jumped out of bed towards the bathroom before she'd opened her eyes.

* * *

Eventually Korra extricated herself from the tangle of sheets, and headed downstairs for breakfast. Hiroshi was long gone to his post at the office, leaving her and Asami alone in the vast expanse of Asami's kitchen. Korra mused if they reached _that_ point in their relationship, she wound have absolutely hazarded a try at taking Asami on the kitchen counter, but since unfortunately they were not (and it seemed the possibility of that ever happening was slowly slipping away), she settled for simply sitting close together to eat at the island.

"Do you have work today?" Korra asked, not without intention. Even though they'd spent all day yesterday and last night together, she couldn't help but want to spend more time together. But maybe Asami would want some space, especially after Korra had basically told her she didn't know if they would stay together.

"I have a few things I should sort out," Asami started hesitantly. "For school."

Korra immediately wanted to go back in time and punch herself ( _shouldn't have brought any of this up at all!_ ) and it seemed Asami noticed.

"Why? Did you want to do something?"

"If you want to," Korra said uncertainly, pushing her food around with her fork. "I have my physical for swimming later, but nothing really after that."

Asami flinched at the mention of swimming. "When does your season start?"

"Training starts in two weeks," Korra answered. She would be moving her things into her dorm in the city before that, and the thought that her friends would have to take the train to visit her, no matter how short a ride, was already strange.

"I could come over after," Asami suggested hesitantly. "Unless you think your parents will magically know we're…involved."

Korra smiled. "I'm pretty sure they've thought that for years now, it's just more likely I'll blatantly give it away now."

"I don't know why anyone ever tells you secrets," Asami smiled back.

Korra scoffed. "Cause I'm super trustworthy."

Asami rolled her eyes. "Yeah, until you spill the beans somehow."

"My system has worked just fine for you all these years!" she defended.

"Ugh, its even worse when its _your_ secret," Asami egged. "You're like a time bomb."

"I had one secret!"

"And you nearly imploded!"

Korra huffed. So maybe she was bad at secrets. "It worked out, didn't it?"

"It was a train wreck with zero casualties, so it _half_ worked out," Asami clarified sarcastically.

"Are you saying this is a train wreck?"

"It absolutely is!" Asami slammed her fist on the island, causing the silverware to clatter. She had gone from okay to upset in the five seconds they'd been playing around, and it caught Korra off guard.

"Asami?"

"Look at us! We don't even know what to say to each other, or what to do with each other!" Asami crossed her arms and shook her head. "You'll leave and this will all have been _pointless_."

" _I'll_ leave?" Korra pushed her plate away. "Well you better hope they teach you how to fix trains at that fancy school of yours," she shot back, standing up, and pulling out her keys. "Because I sure as hell don't know how, and you're right, I don't know how to say anything to you anymore!"

Asami's temper was in full force now. "So you _do_ regret doing this!"

"Maybe a little right now!" Korra said indignantly. She was angry she couldn't say what she wanted to Asami, but more angry that Asami had noticed it, and was capitalizing on her insecurities.

Asami pushed her plate away too. "Great, good to know, Korra."

Korra let out a frustrated growl and moved to leave the kitchen. A week of dancing around each other to avoid frustration had only led to…frustration.

"Where are you going?" Asami stood up too and followed her, the anger evident in her eyes, with an underlying hint of sadness hidden in them at haven driven Korra away.

"The doctor!" Korra called over her shoulder, ripping the front door open and storming out.

"Fine!" Asami called after her, reaching the door just as Korra had gone through it and slamming it closed.

* * *

Korra had huffed and puffed the entire way to the doctor's and through the appointment. Her pulse was way above her normal fifty-four resting rate, and she was sure her blood pressure reading had suffered similarly. The doctor had cleared her for practice after making sure she was up to date on her shots, (which had also aggravated her, because she'd needed two) but at least it was now one less thing she had to worry about, leaving more time to worry about having yelled at Asami.

She ate lunch with Mako, who felt just as lost as Korra. The last time he'd seen them together well, they still weren't doing much talking, but that seemed just fine.

"Maybe she thinks talking about you leaving will set you guys off," he suggested.

"ME leaving, Mako?" she said exasperatedly. "I'm going a train ride away- she's going to the other end of the Earth!"

"Maybe she thinks talking about her leaving will set you guys off, then," he tried.

"I mean- I try not to bring it up- but now, not bringing it up seems to be the problem!" she stuffed the last of her pizza crust in her mouth, chewing angrily.

Mako seemed to contemplate his next suggestion for a while. "So why don't you bring it up?"

"Because, Mako," she swallowed. "There's nothing I can say that will sound good," she explained. "If I try to get her not to go- I seem like an ass. If I congratulate her on going- I seem like I don't care about us. If I try to do both- I just seem like I don't know what the fuck I want!"

"You got me there," he conceded. "I guess you just have to pick one, though."

"I guess."

* * *

She was still stewing hours later, against the big oak tree in her backyard picking out individual blades of grass and trying to calm her mind.

Korra knew it was stupid, but Asami calling them a wreck was probably true.

 _Clearly she forgot what a shitshow me and Mako were, but whatever._

The stupidest part of their argument was that both knew they were cruising on borrowed time, and had decided to go along with their feelings regardless. Now that the time had come to deal with the consequences, _neither_ of them were taking it as well as they thought they would, considering they were aware it would happen. She just wasn't sure what they could do anymore, besides hurt each other.

Her musing was interrupted by a soft "Hey."

Korra looked up from where she was staring a hole into the ground, to see none other than Asami standing timidly beside her, purposely avoiding eye contact, the giant hickey Korra had placed on her neck earlier covered with a light scarf.

"Hey," she greeted back miserably.

"You forgot this at my house," Asami said, gesturing to the neatly folded dress shirt in her hand.

"Thanks." She reached out to take it, leaving Asami to wring her now empty hands. When Korra didn't say anything further, Asami panicked.

"I should go," she stuttered, backtracking towards the house.

"Why are you all dressed up?" Korra asked simultaneously.

"Oh." Asami looked down at her clothes, blushing. "Um, in case you still wanted me to stay for dinner, but… I can see why it might have been dumb of me to think you would."

"It wasn't," Korra assured, playing with the shirt. She might have been angry and upset every second since she'd left Asami's house, but seeing Asami in front of her now had immediately dissipated any feeling besides devotion. "Do you want to sit?"

Asami took a deep breath to calm her nerves before gracefully taking a seat next to Korra, a little further away than she would normally.

The silence between them was tense, and Korra figured they were both probably struggling to figure out what to say. Which she guessed, was why Asami had gotten upset in the first place.

"You were right," she conceded.

Asami looked up, sad and now confused.

"About us. Being a wreck," Korra clarified.

"No, Korra… I shouldn't have gotten so upset," she pled. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's okay," Korra assured. "I mean- we don't really know what to say to each other, do we? It all comes out wrong. We didn't really think this through."

Asami nodded sadly. "There are so many things I want to tell you and I just don't know how anymore. I'm too afraid you'll get mad."

Korra shifted over to close the distance Asami had put between them, until their sides were touching. "I might. But I guess we have to be okay with that now, right? Especially if not saying anything makes us like this, too."

Asami buried her face in Korra's arm and nodded again.

They were silent for a bit until Asami lifted her head and took Korra's hand in hers. "I want you to break your promise," she said.

"What?"

"The one you made when we were little," Asami continued. "You said you wanted to make sure I never got hurt again. But you can't promise me that now that we're together. Not hurting me just means hurting yourself."

"Asami…"

"I know it sounds weird," she interrupted. "But I'll just have to trust that even though you can, you won't. Not intentionally. If we're walking on eggshells we won't ever be honest with each other, we'll just fight more."

That made sense. Korra had been keeping things to herself to spare Asami and now the lack of communication was suffocating. "Are you sure?"

"Things are different between us now," Asami explained. "Not everything. I still love you like I did before, but now we do things together, instead of apart. I can't make that promise to you either," she conceded sadly. "I would break it just by leaving."

Korra smiled softly at Asami's words. It was more than likely Asami had figured out exactly what had been irking Korra, and hurting them, and found a way to make it better. "Okay," she agreed. "But I won't break it. I'll amend it. To fit us like we are now. As long as you trust that you can tell me things that might make me mad and I'll still be here for you."

Asami threw her arms around Korra and pulled her into a tight hug. Korra returned it without question, and squeezed just as hard.

"I don't regret kissing you," Korra whispered into Asami's hair, remembering the other part of their skirmish. "You could be going to school on the moon and I'd want to be the person you kissed before you left. I was just angry."

Asami pulled back and did just that. Kissed Korra like she was going to the moon, like this was the only person she ever wanted to be kissing, (which…was _half_ true).

Through the darkness they heard Senna call them in for dinner, and Korra pulled away and smiled. "I think my mother would kill me if I sent you away now," she teased. "Plus you're all snazzed up and everything."

"I wasn't going to leave even if you wanted," Asami said slyly. "Your mom made noodles."

Korra nodded. "Your favorite." She held her hand out to pull Asami up, who was eying her skeptically.

"She knew I was coming?"

Korra hummed affirmatively, and pulled a teary Asami towards the door.

* * *

Asami couldn't remember a time where she'd been happier. Sure there was the time she'd won the geography bee- but being in love- or lust- or whatever it is was with Korra at the moment- was so much better than that she wanted to explode.

She'd remembered lying in the grass with Korra, like she was now, (warm, and full of noodles) and wishing- wondering- what it would be like if she could just _touch_ the solid body next to her, and now she could. It was every bit as exhilarating and wonderful as she'd imagined. Though, there was still the lingering problem that she was leaving for school sooner rather than later, and she could no longer ignore it as some distant occurrence that wasn't actually happening to her.

Korra of course, had been supportive the entire time they'd been together. Not that they'd talked about it (that seemed like the one topic that would evade them whether they were making out or not) but Asami knew they had to- knew the time had come that she'd been dreading, and would just have to face it. It sucked way more in real life than it did in her imagination. But, she'd taken the leap, now it was time to sink with the ship.

"Meet me at the beach tomorrow? Our first date spot," she asked Korra shyly, their hands clasped and lingering between them as they looked up at their stars.

"Okay," Korra promised. "When?"

"How abouttt sunset?"

"Have something romantic planned, Ms. Sato?" Korra grinned.

"No, I just like it there." She squeezed at their clasped hands, hoping it was the one place Korra wouldn't be able to leave her.

* * *

The next day Korra realized rather strangely that sunset was an ever changing time (she knew that it was- everybody knew that- it was just… hard to know exactly when it was?) and ended up having to look up the time on the internet, and then look up whether the time the weather channel gave was when the sun started to set, or when it finished setting, and then wonder which one Asami had meant.

Rather than panic though, she decided to just show up fifteen minutes before either occurrence, to save herself the worry and impress Asami by being on time.

What she didn't expect was to find Asami already waiting at their spot (the torches and sheets had been removed, and all that remained to mark the spot had been the stones and candles that Bolin had arranged) sitting on a large blanket she'd laid out, the candles already lit around her.

Asami didn't notice her approaching through the long grass however- she seemed rather focused on the breaking waves in front of her, and the lingering start of the sunset. She only moved when Korra plopped down next to her, and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Everything okay in there?" Korra asked, tapping Asami's head.

Asami looked like she was about to throw up, but nodded quickly. "Yeah! Yeah, I just- you're early!"

"I couldn't exactly figure out when sunset was, so I just came before it. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, of course," Asami smiled, returning Korra's kiss with one of her own.

"Thanks," Korra teased, lying back on the blanket. "What are we doing here, by the way? Just spending quality time?"

"Don't you like quality time?" Asami asked, nudging Korra's knees.

"Of course I do," Korra nudged back. "I have to spend it while I can."

Asami's ease disappeared again, and the worried expression she'd been wearing before Korra arrived resurfaced as she looked away, towards the sun that had actually begun to set, bathing them and the sand in orange light. It was then Korra noticed her fumbling with something in her hands.

"What's that?"

Before she could reach out to ask Asami what was wrong, Asami stood up suddenly to face her, gripping what Korra could see was a folded piece of paper.

She sat back up, befuddled. "Asami…?" she questioned again, eyebrow raised.

"I have to tell you something," Asami blurted, nervously, and somehow Korra could see that Asami had most likely been sitting here for quite some time, attempting to figure out how to say whatever it was she was trying to tell Korra now. It wasn't as bad as "we need to talk," but it was eerily similar. She decided to try and keep her cool, because Asami clearly wasn't going to.

"What is it, Beans?" she tried to ask softly and seriously (she figured whipping out Asami's volleyball nickname might help her loosen up a bit, since Korra hadn't come up with something endearing of her own yet- besides Beans- short for Beanpole, was just too perfect-) and moved to stand herself.

Asami's smile was slight, but she relaxed only marginally in favor of moving backwards, out of Korra's reach again, so Korra froze where she was, as if she was approaching a startled deer.

"I've been meaning to tell you," Asami explained, keeping her eyes on Korra's still figure. "I just- I was afraid I'd ruin this," she swallowed noticeably, and Korra wished desperately she could reach out and soothe her. Words would have to do for now.

"You can tell me anything, 'Sami," Korra reiterated her promise from the day before again, hoping she could keep it. "You won't ruin anything. We agreed to talk."

Asami seemed skeptical, but determined to keep going. "I'd understand if you were mad," she continued, trying to smooth the paper out in her hands, "But- I realized, I guess I can't ask you to do anything for us if there's this in the way- just- you can decide after if you want to make or break any promises for me. I don't think we're pointless, I just was afraid you'd think we were-"

"Asami."

Asami quickly ended her rambling to look up into Korra's eyes- and she could tell the ice in them was melting for her- so she would trust that Korra had meant what she'd said. Korra held out her hand for the wrinkled paper, and Asami only looked at it uncomfortably before inching forward and laying the letter in Korra's palm. She held her hands to her chest worriedly as she waited for Korra to read it.

Korra could immediately tell the paper wasn't as old as it's wrinkles made it seem, and it was more likely Asami had just wrung it in her hands repeatedly since she'd received it. She unfolded it slowly, as if moving any faster would scare Asami further, before looking down at the print.

She could also tell whatever news it was wasn't good from the letterhead- _The Royal Fire Nation University_ \- even though it started with a " _Congratulations!"_

As Korra read, she garnered that Asami had been accepted to a summer program in the Piandao School of Engineering and Artistic Design that had required extra applications and ridiculous qualifications after the initial acceptance to the school itself, and Asami had been one of only six to be offered a spot. The other part that stood out was the programs start date- the same day as Korra's first swim practice- two weeks from now, and almost a month earlier than she had been prepared for Asami to leave.

Even though Asami hadn't said anything more after giving Korra the paper- she figured she could assume what her panic had been about.

Korra took a breath and continued slowly- except now to maintain her own composure as well as Asami's. "So…you're leaving earlier?" she questioned calmly.

Asami looked up from where she'd been staring at the sand and spoke. "It's a great opportunity- I just. I haven't told them anything!" she clarified quickly. "I wanted to ask you first," she whispered.

Korra felt the fibers of the high quality paper between her fingers as she thought about it.

"It is great." Her voice was quiet, but sincere. More sincere than she was aware she could muster. "You know I'd never stop you if this was something you wanted."

Asami finally moved in closer, just short of pressing herself into Korra's front. "I know. But. You're allowed to ask, you know," she whispered. "I know you tried."

"Ask what?" Korra swallowed, but didn't move to embrace Asami, fumbling with the letter in her hand, as Asami had been earlier. Yes, she had tried. But in the most round about way a person could manage.

"Ask you to stay?"

"Yes," Asami breathed.

Korra was silent. It couldn't be that simple. It wasn't that she was too proud to beg. She just couldn't be responsible for holding Asami back from anything, for anything. Including herself. "I want what you want," she decided. She couldn't ask Asami to jump back on to a sinking ship, as much as it hurt her to let Asami go. She'd asked mostly because, well, she'd had to.

"Korra," Asami plead, moving her hands to Korra's shoulders and gripping at her shirt. "We promised to talk."

What was there to talk about? It didn't seem like there was much of a question. Why would Asami stay? Not that she didn't think she was worth it- but- this was a good thing for Asami.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Asami plead again softly, seemingly afraid to move or speak too much as well.

"I want you to go, for you, more than I want you to stay for me," Korra confessed. She was surprised at how easily the words came out, now that she didn't have her promise in the way. "I love you, I do Asami- but you know I can't ask you to stay. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. It's not that I don't care about us- I do- and I don't know what that means for us in the future, but you should go. Plus, if you stayed," she sighed. "That would be way too much pressure to be worth it."

"You'd be worth it," Asami murmured, the tears already building in her eyes. "Absolutely."

Korra almost shook her head, before she realized why this had been hard for Asami. Why Asami had asked for new promises. She didn't want it to seem like she was running away- Asami Sato never ran from anything (except once, when she was seven and hadn't had a choice).

She was afraid.

Afraid Korra would think she was running away. That Korra would seal her off- thinking it was what was best for Asami- that she wouldn't love her while she was gone, and they'd drift apart.

Korra had been trying to fight off Asami's worries with words- which she had never been good with, and it wasn't words Asami needed anymore. She needed to know.

"What is it you want?" Korra asked, hoping they weren't at odds. It seemed strange, but it was like her mind was made up.

"You're the only thing I want," Asami contended, her grip on Korra's shoulders almost painful. "You're the only thing I've wanted for a very long time, but-"

"But what?"

"But I want to go," she confessed. "But not if it means I lose you."

"I'll still love you, even when you're gone Asami," Korra assured, before pressing herself into Asami's embrace- bringing their foreheads together. "I just don't know how to promise anything more than that."

Asami's lips moved in to meet hers. She ripped the letter out of Korra's hands and it fluttered into the sand as she pressed them together with what felt like all of her strength. Korra's arms finally fell around her, and she stumbled as Asami pushed into her as they kissed.

Korra knew Asami didn't want to hurt her. She believed the words. She didn't want to hurt Asami either. The timing (the stupid, terrible timing) just wasn't perfect. She guessed it never had been, and that's what had kept them apart for so long. Just as it had countless times before, the feeling of regret that they had ever waited to do any of this reared, and it made her ache. They obviously didn't have time for hesitation anymore- and Korra saw the only way she could convince Asami she wouldn't lose her.

They crashed together again, Korra's hand in Asami's long, waving hair, the other tightly around her waist. When they pulled away to breathe she slid her arm down and around Asami's back and lifted her until Asami wrapped her legs around her waist, before kneeling and gently laying them down on the blanket.

They kissed roughly and hurriedly- the weeks of pent up frustration now combined with sheer desperation drove them deeper into the sand, and Korra clutched at the fabric beneath them to stop herself from grasping Asami too tightly.

Asami had no such fears, however, and she pulled until Korra was fully lying above her, her full weight pressing into Asami's body. Their gazes were so intently upon each other, she only barely registered when Asami's hand began running nervously up and down her supporting arm.

"You alright?" Korra whispered, as her lips inched closer to Asami's beautiful, flawless ones, and she could swear she felt Asami's heart jump in her chest when their noses brushed.

"Yeah." Asami lifted her head, to meet Korra once more, and she confused the stars in the sky for the ones in her eyes. (This was her favorite kiss out of all their kisses, because, as their tongues met, she finally had confirmation the choice of anyone in the world, under any circumstance, Korra would choose her. Her eyes filled with tears because it felt, quite inexplicably, that her mother had died and her father had moved and her life had been turned upside down just so that she could meet some blue eyed girl in her social studies class that would eventually, after years of denying it, love Asami Sato so desperately it would breach the distance that would come between them.)

"Asami?"

She knew Korra had felt the tears on her cheeks and almost panicked- so she pulled Korra even closer. "It's okay. Don't stop."

Korra's hand traveling up her torso and her lips pressing into her neck was all she needed to know Korra understood. It may have been mournful, and not entirely what she expected, but- there just wasn't time for anything else.

The pressure and the heat of Korra's body on hers was becoming overwhelming, and her dress had already ridden up her hips as they moved to meet Korra's, and she wanted more. She pushed her arms underneath Korra's shirt and pulled it up until it caught at her neck, and Korra pulled away so she could tug it off completely. She sight she was left with was, good _god_ , always more erotic than their kissing- Korra's carved body looking questioningly down at her, for permission, for approval, for anything except the googly eyes she was giving it. What was a Sato to do? She sat up and coaxed Korra to lie down (who was she kidding- so she could get a better view of everything going on under these stupid shirts Korra always wore) and sat on Korra's hips, her tight jeans leaving so little to her imagination, through the thin material of her underwear. She's was surprised she hadn't just gotten off already, _with_ all their clothes on.

"Asami, _please_."

It's only at Korra's begging she realized she'd been dragging her nails down Korra's abdomen, which must have been _torturous,_ but Korra hadn't moved. She took one of Korra's hands and dragged it up her thigh, under her dress, past the strap of her underwear and to her torso. Korra sat up and pushed the dress up the rest of the way, up and over Asami's head. Before Korra could short- circuit, Asami grabbed her face and stuck her tongue in her mouth, grinding into the hard body beneath her.

Korra's strangled groan was the only sound Asami ever wanted to hear again. That and Korra calling her name.

" _Asami."_

"Korra."

"I don't want to do anything you don't want to."

"I want us to do everything," Asami assured, her hands moving between them to the button of Korra's jeans. "I want you do to anything you want to me."

If Korra had ever felt turned on by Asami before, all those feelings were eclipsed by those words. She lifted her hips with Asami still on top of her and pulled off her jeans, before pressing her lips to the valley between Asami's chest, up to her neck. When she straps of Asami's bra fell off her shoulders from all her writhing, she thought she would faint.

She almost did when Asami reached behind her back, and unhooked it.

In the reflection of the moon on the ocean, Asami looked regal. Korra thought that maybe she was looking at the moon goddess herself. If she survived, Korra promised she would go home and pray and make tributes to the moon and the ocean and the spirits that she had been graced with such a sight.

She twisted them around again, her bare feet digging into the sand as Asami heaved underneath her.

"You're beautiful." Her eyes never left Asami's.

Asami blushed, and Korra finally saw how low it went.

When their lips met again, it was gentle and slow. Korra's hands roamed places on Asami's body she'd only ever dreamed about, and when they reached the thin strip keeping her from feeling Asami completely, Asami's hips raised in silent permission.

Korra had swum some pretty excruciating races in her life, but she swore her heart had never beaten as fast as it was now. Asami Sato was not Mako, or Wing or Kuvira. Asami Sato was, well. The only thing she'd been tender with in her life, except maybe Naga. She was her best friend. The person she'd inexplicably entrusted with her soul before she'd even realized she'd done it. Who made her want more than she'd ever wanted before. Whose green eyes reminded her only of grace and strength, and made her want to be better. She'd be the only person that had ever gotten Korra so out of sorts she forgot how to think. Her life so far had a lot of wonderful things in it, but Asami was what gave it beauty.

"I love you, Asami." Her tone was sure. Strong. "I need you to know." She swallowed down the lump in her throat. "I love you more than anything." She wished there was something else to say. She'd been struggling to find what it was all these weeks. But maybe now, there weren't any words left.

Asami's tears returned, but they only shone on her eyelashes as she buried her hands in Korra's hair and brought their foreheads together. "I love you, too," she assured. For some reason, staring into the ice in front of her, she thought of the first time she'd seen them, full of joy and mischief, all that time ago. ( _Maybe, even before I knew what it was_.)

Korra's next kiss was gentle but powerful, as she settled between Asami's legs.

 _I'm done wasting time._

Asami braced her arms on Korra's strong back.

 _Me too._

* * *

If Asami ever questioned her choice to leave Iroh, those questions were now eradicated. She was sinking, happily overcome by Korra's waves, struggling to breathe under Korra's straining hands. With Iroh she'd never had to control the waves of pure emotion being pulled out of her as they moved, or deal with years of pent up frustration just to touch this one body- and have this one body touch her. Iroh's teeth on her neck had never made her shudder, and his voice was nothing like the pitch of hers, hot in her ears, whispering sweet nothings. His hands were nothing like hers, rough and wild and deft, leaving her to send pulses of want around the fingers inside her. It was a want she thought would never be fulfilled, until she released, almost violently against Korra, who kissed her softly though it. Her nails never felt so satisfied digging into his back as they did with this one, and his weight on top of her had never been quite this comforting.

Korra on the other hand, was on fire. The heat of Asami's body only served to drive her even more wild, and she wanted to burn with it forever. Asami's body wrapped around hers demanded devotion, which she was more than willing to give. She would give and give until there was nothing left but embers. Her kisses were praises she didn't know how to say, and there was no part of Asami that could go un-praised. The hands roaming her skin burned trails across her back and tugged at her hair. She followed the sparks down Asami's body with her tongue, licking at Asami just like the flames she was giving off, until she reached the source. Asami's moans were contagious, and Korra found herself addicted to the sound. She was convinced she would implode when Asami's legs wrapped around her head and pulled Korra onto her back, so her hips could push further onto Korra's tongue.

The cycle continued for what seemed like hours, until they collapsed together on the rumpled blanket, half on the sand, too tired to continue. Their arms remained desperately clutching at one another- if they weren't going to have sex, they were going to be as close as they could possibly be without it.

Eventually, Asami's hips started to move idly against Korra's side once more, and Korra laughed as she pulled Asami on top of her entirely.

"That is the last time I ever wait ten years to sleep with someone," Asami chuckled, pushing her hair out of the way.

"It better be. We've got a lot of catching up to do in the next two weeks," Korra pointed out mischievously.

"Then I suggest you start now."

Korra didn't know exactly when sunrise was either, but it happened sometime after the candles had all burned out and the first jogger found them still tangled in the grass.


End file.
